


Beyond the Closet Door

by SakuraMarie



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Monsters Inc. Fusion, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Monster's Inc Au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-05-04 17:21:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14597946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SakuraMarie/pseuds/SakuraMarie
Summary: A young Chat Noir thinks he can be just as good as scaring as an adult... too bad he chose someone who didn't get scared but ended up becoming his best friend.When they are nine, his father separates them and when they are seventeen they are reunited when Chat is assigned to scare Manon.Things change when Manon gets kidnapped and Marinette tries to save her and gets lost in the monster world.





	1. Forbidden Friendships

The empty hallways of the factory echoed with the footsteps of the young monster who snuck into his father's factory after hours. He was curious, as was to be expected of a young werecat. He wanted to see a human and how dangerous they really were. How scary could they be if monsters collected their screams for energy? If you scream, you are scared. How can that be as "dangerous" as his father always seemed to say?

He walked right up to a large "Scare Station", as they were called, and turned it on. He had seen the process hundreds of times when his father would show him off around the factory. The young monster, Chat Noir, had shadowed some of the best scarers so that he could learn by example. He typed a random number and called a door to him. He had no idea what door he called; he just typed a number 5239284. He liked the noise those particular numbers made when he pressed them. He was a bit of a strange monster.

The door that was summoned from the vault was nothing spectacular. Still it would serve his purpose. He took a deep breath and decided he was gonna scare the pants off whatever human he came across. He would make his father proud of him.

A young girl was asleep when she heard a door creak open. The door not only made a soft creaking noise but a small light flooded her room. She bolts from bed and looks around. Her room was now in darkness again, and her bright blue eyes grow wide. She crawls out of bed and looks around anxiously, unaware that there was something behind her with glowing green eyes.

She then turns and sees the two eyes, and the monster roars loudly in her face. Marinette's eyes grow wider as she blinks a few times. The voice roars again but it ends in a squeaky cough.

"….. this is where ya supposed to scream already," the voice said. It was obviously a child's voice.

Marinette blinks again, " W-Well… I won't because I am not afraid of you!"

The young monster pouts and is at a loss for words. This NEVER happened to the other monsters. No one trained him for this. "Well! Uh…. I don't know what to do now…."

The human girl was dressed oddly, like she was trying to become a monster herself. Hardly any of her human skin showed and was covered in some kind of red and black spotted material. To him it looked like fur it had a zipper in the front… How weird! If she wanted to be sneaky and sneak into the monster world she had to have a better disguise, with no obvious zippers. On top of her head was a hood with little antennae. She looked like a very rare ladybug monster.

"You have weird pajamas," she ended up saying.

He frowned, "These are not weird! And they aren't Pajamas! I am a scary monster who comes outta your closet!"

She outright laughs at this. "You are hardly scary looking…" she than sees his cat ears and tail and smirks. "Kitty. You are a kid just like me! I am not afraid of a kitty cat!"

"I am not a kid! Or a kitty! I am a fierce werecat! I am a monster"

"Oooh how scary! Whatcha gonna do? Meow at me… get tangled up in my yarn?" She holds up her failed knitting project with a bit of string hanging off it. His pupils gravitiate to the string. Darn his cat tendencies, he will fight them! He will not give in and give this sly human a reason to gloat.

He will fight and fight he did… for five whole minutes. He sourly played with the projects string while the girl laughed at him … taunting him. He will have REVENGE!... As soon as he had revenge on this string.

Once he finally conquered the darn thing he looked at the smug girl. She was right, she looked no older than him. She looked about five or six. Somehow this annoyed him more and he pouted.

"What's wrong, Chaton ?" she drawled out in a teasing tone.

He bristled at the name "You are like five right? "

"Just turned six years old!"

"Yea, you SHOULD be afraid of monsters! Why aren't you afraid?" he was clearly frustrated. "I did everything right… until the end, but I did EVERYTHING like the others and the other kids were scared!"

"Monsters are big and scary… you are small and cute." she said with a grin.

He fights a small blush, no one has ever called him cute except his mom but that was a while ago. He waved it off and pouted.

"Am not! Just you wait! When I come back I WILL be big and scary and you WILL be afraid and scream your head off!"

The little girl laughs so hard her hood comes off and reveals her midnight blue hair in two tiny little pigtails high on her head.

"Good Luck with that, kitty~~"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Nope! Never!"

"Ugh ! No one ever said humans were so annoying!"

"I am going home!" he announced as he stood up, clearly an agitated lil cat, which only served to make the girl laugh harder at him

"Bye little kitty monster! By the way! My name is Marinette!" she called before he slammed the door. She jumps out of bed and runs to the door only to reveal her closest.

"Huh? Where did he go?" She looked all in her closest until she fell asleep in the closet. Her parents were highly amused to see her in there when they went to take her to a doctor's appointment.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Marinette was excited to see him back a few weeks later. He tried so hard to scare her, but she was not a bit scared. He kept vowing that one day she will be scared so bad she wouldn't be able to sleep. He would never announce when he comes or even have a pattern cause he wanted to catch her off guard but he was as unlucky as his namesake and he could never scare her.

However as the years went by, they began to form an odd sort of friendship. It started with him staying longer after his failed attempts at scaring her. She started noticing that he was quite a scrawny kitty so she'd sneak food up and he'd devour it. Him staying longer managed to loosen his tongue a bit and they'd talk. Talk about their day and then their lives, families, worlds and hopes and dreams.

She was the one who celebrated his birthday when his father didn't even bother to.

He was the one who she confided in when her bully Chloé Bourgeois had made her feel bad about herself.

They were the closest of friends by the time Chat Noir eventually slipped up and was caught by one of his father's employees.

Three long but happy years came to a screeching halt when his father called him into his office.

"Chat Noir, how dare you go against me?" His father, Hawkmoth, growls at his son. His son's face goes deathly pale.

"What do you mean?"

He shoves a folder into Chat's face and he sees there are photos of him constantly sneaking in to Marinette's room over and over.

"How long Chat … How LONG?"

"Three years," Chat Noir replied, trying to keep his voice level.

Hawkmoth nearly exploded in cold fury. Granted no one would really know but Chat Noir and Hawkmoth's personal assistant.

"You have been defying me for three years… with a HUMAN of all things! Don't you know they are toxic?"

"Marinette is NOT toxic. I am not dead or anything."

"She is lulling you into a sense of false security. You will lay down your guard and then end up like your mother… Do you want that?!"

Chat Noir flinches at the mention of his mother. No one knows what had happened to her except that she went to the human world one to many times, and possibly bonded with a human child and was caught by their parents. She hasn't been heard of in years.

"I am putting an end to your foolishness! Tonight will be your last night. I am destroying her door in the morning." Hawkmoth storms out of the room, leaving Chat looking pale and depressed. What was he going to tell Marinette?

Chat spends the rest of day in a combination of being absolutely miserable and shopping for Marinette's goodbye present. He eventually found it. An enchanted hair clip that a local witch claimed was infused with Good Luck. It was of a Ladybug, just like her monster name from their youth. The witch herself seemed to resemble a ladybug herself. She had a red and black color scheme and bright blue eyes. He cradled it in his arms as he took it to the factory. He waits there as his father's employees are already setting up her door for its last use, and it made him sick to his stomach but he kept his face blank. When the door finally activated, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He strolls in and closes the door behind him; no way did he want anyone to report to his father how this meeting went.

Marinette wasn't in her room yet. He could smell her family having dinner downstairs. He heard the voices and the laughter, and he wanted nothing more than to be a part of it. Now he will never have the chance.

Soon enough, he heard Marinette wishing her parents goodnight and her bolting up the stairs to her room. The latch door opened and he looked at her with a blank look.

"Kitty? What are ya doing here so early?…." She asked gently as she closes the hatch. "What's wrong? Talk to me…"

"He found out, Princess…. My father found out."

Her eyes grow wide and she pets his ears. "He isn't happy… at all." His ears droop down. "He says your toxic, and …. He will destroy your door in the morning." He looked utterly miserable but she was confused.

"Destroy… my door?" She asked carefully.

He sighs and leans on her, "Our worlds are connected by doors. There is a copy of your door in my world… in my Dad's scream factory…"

Her eyes grow wide in understanding, "So if he destroys the door…."

"He destroys the link, and I won't be able to see you again."

"… Oh Kitty…" Her voice cracks and her eyes begin to water. "I don't want… "

"Me neither… but I can't do a thing about it and…" he makes fists. "I can't fight him right now…."

She hugs him tightly, "I will miss you so, so much…."

He returns the hug and when he lets go he pulls out a small drawstring bag. "Here… I got you a present … so you won't forget me… It's apparently enchanted with Good Luck… because heaven knows you need it," He said in a teasing tone, trying to lighten the somber mood. She sticks out her tongue and opens the bag, the hair clip slides into her hands "Oh… it's beautiful…" she whispers and puts it in her hair to clip in her hair.

She pouts. "I don't have anything to give you …. OH I know! "

She runs to her dresser and pulls out this old style Polaroid camera.

"One of my aunts went to Japan and this is a new craze from there. Bring back old style instant Polaroid cameras with cute little designs. She took a picture of a surprised Chat and smiles as she shakes the picture to reveal the image. His eyes blown wide and mouth open and it looked hilarious. She giggles as she hides it from him so he doesn't take it.

"Let's take some pictures! Then you can keep some of them … to remember me." She smiles at him and he grins.

"Ok" He said and off they went, taking so many photos.

Time flew by and for a moment they forgot that it would be their last night. They took a lot of photos and so many different types. Silly pictures, normal and model-y style photos, but mostly silly.

Eventually they run out of film and they sort through the pictures. They took about twenty six photos and Chat ended up taking most of them. He treated them like they were the most precious treasure.

"I will keep these photos on my monster self forever… I won't let my Dad touch em and take em," he said fiercely and then he hugs her.

"I gotta go Marinette…. Good night…"

"Yea… bye kitty… maybe when we grow up we will see each other again."

"Maybe… I hope so… someday."

He hides the photos in a secret compartment in his clothes and goes into the closet and returns to the monster world to the cold eyes of his father.

"It's time, son… You know I only do this to protect, not only you, but all of us."

The employees disconnect the door from the frame and ceremonially ground it before Chat's eyes. He stared as the door became pieces but kept his composure well. He takes a shaky breath when it is all done and excuses himself to his room.

He refuses to speak with his father for a few days, not that Hawkmoth ever sought out his son, even before him finding out about Marinette. He also never lets his father know about the photos and never let them out of his sight.

Over the years they put each other in the back of their mind.

Chat Noir had to deal with Hawkmoth and his own plans for his son. To be a model monster and scare every child he could.

Marinette had to deal with growing up, school, bullies, and her own dreams of becoming an amazing fashion designer.

They never thought the off handed comment Marinette made that night would come true.  



	2. Reunion

Six years was an awfully long time to be separated from your best friend.

Six years was also a very long time for things to change in a world.

In six years, the world of human kind seemed to flourish. New inventions and the human ability to adapt made things go great, and young Marinette Dupain-Cheng blossomed into a confident, if not socially awkward, teenager who put monsters under beds and in closets as a thing she made up in her youth. The pictures she took with Chat Noir lost in boxes that housed the toys and failed sewing projects of her youth. The photos that she honestly forgot about when she had so many other things to deal with were safe but forgotten. She still had the ladybug hairclip and wore it daily, even if she could not remember where she really got it.

In six years, the world of monsters and the supernatural seemed to be deteriorating. The once reliable scream energy was no longer reliable and easy to get. Power shortages were common except for the super elite. Chat Noir grew into a monster his father should be proud of but he somehow wasn't. He remembered Marinette well, only because of those photographs that he kept on him. As he grew, he never did forget her, just put her in the back of his mind because she was human and humans were beings he should never get close to again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Marinette! Please keep me safe!" the little girl hugged her sitter's legs tightly. "There is something in my closest! It keeps coming out of my closet and scaring me! It's so scary!" She whimpers a bit.

Marinette sighs as she puts her sketch book down on the table. The seventeen year old was sitting on the kitchen table and somehow little Manon had kept her legs in a bone crushing hug. "Manon, I told you … there is NOTHING in your closest. We checked, remember?"

"But it comes in when Maman is away!" The little girl looked beyond stressed at this point; her pigtails were even messier than usual. "Please Marinette ... Please! Stay with me in my room?" She gives Marinette her biggest and best baby doll eyes she could muster.

"Manon …" she whined. She hated those darn eyes she could never refuse. She had so much work to do for her university portfolio and she didn't have time to really waste on Manon's silliness. Still, she could not say no to those eyes and that cute little begging voice Manon had, and she caved.

"Alright, Alright. I will stay with you till your mother comes home? Does that make you feel better?"

Manon smiles, all traces of fear disappear from her face as she grabs Marinette's hand and leads her upstairs to her room. "Soon you will believe me!" she cries happily.

Marinette confirms the little girl has indeed brushed her teeth and tucked her in. She read to her from a recently replaced fairy tale book that Manon simply adored. She read it in the most soothing voice she could muster. She was happy Manon drifted to bed earlier in the story.

She was not a liar and did stay with the little girl. As the girl was sound asleep, Marinette started nodding off herself.

She hadn't been sleeping well due to stress, and Manon's bed was oddly comfortable and Manon's gentle breathing was comforting. Marinette stirs a bit when she hears a doorknob jiggle . She stretches and looks to the door that led into the hallway, thinking Nadja Chamack had finally returned home from work.

Her surprise was written all over her face when she realized that door never moved and instead it was the closet.

Something seemed very familiar about the situation when the door slowly opened. Not all the way but just a bit and softly closed. Marinette grabbed the first thing she could get her hands on, which happened to be Manon's large book of fairy tales. As stealthily as she could, she looked around for the intruder in the closet. She sees a black mound near Manon's bed that begins to get up and Marinette wastes no time in blindly smashing the book against the blob.

Said blob yowls loudly.

Said loud yowl makes Manon pop outta bed with a scream and nearly tumbles out of bed trying to find a light switch.

When Manon finally turns a light on, she finally sees her sitter mercilessly beating up the monster from the closest with her book and said monster trying to defend itself.

The little girl just stares at the scene of a cat like monster in a ball trying to escape her babysitter who had her eyes closed and screaming for the thing to get away or she will call the police. The werecat than kicks under her and knocks her down. The book goes flying and Marinette falls onto his chest.

She struggles against him as Manon is screaming "Get him! Get him!"

Marinette had her eyes closed when she fell. She opens her eyes and is met with vibrant green cat eyes.

She stops struggling and they blink a few times while staring at each other. Their eyes grow impossibly large and they both let out blood curdling screams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chat Noir's partner, Nino Lahiffe, was a demon. A low level demon, sure; but still a demon. A demon who had to buy things and earn his keep back home.

Normally this would have been just another easy day. Chat Noir would scare a kid, fill a canister, and off he went. He could still do his thing and nothing will be lost.

Not this time. He had never had to keep changing canisters so quickly in one trip. What the hell was going on?!

Dings kept alerting the entire scare floor that a canister was full as others simply stopped and stared.

"Uh… must be a slumber party?" Nino stated sheepishly as he kept trying to quickly change canisters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The screaming never seemed to stop. Manon had stopped first as she watched both the strange monster and her sitter jump up and away from each other. Marinette scrambling backwards and hitting a wall next to the door and the monster from the closet hitting Manon's side table so hard, things knock off and hit him in the head and knocking him out.

Manon blinks and pokes the knocked out cat monster. "You killed him," she stated and looked at her sitter with her eyes almost popping out of her head.

Marinette can only point and make incoherent noises.

Manon pokes Chat Noir again and he makes some odd cat noise and she giggles a bit. "Oh! He is alive!... I am gonna poke him some more!" The little girl giggles and continues poking him some more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nino can't believe it, now much to his horror, the canisters are filling up even faster. He already had used up all the allotted empty canisters in his station in the first half hour of his and Adrien's shift. Something was strange.

He ended up just stealing more empty canisters from the work station over.

"Whatever Chat is doing today… he is on fire" He mumbled under his breath "this would give the whole city power for freakin weeks…."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chat Noir groaned and tried to swat at the little, what he assumed to be, fingers poking at him. One little finger poked him harshly on the side and he yelps. He flips up and onto Manon's bed, becoming more cat like in appearance than human, his fur bristling as he heard Manon's little laugh to the side. He wasn't expecting this, at all. No training could prepare him for what to do here.

Inhuman noises come out of the girl comes out of the girl with the very familiar blue eyes and he looks up

"Kitty….?"

He makes some kind of noise and freezes. It confirmed it to him. Only one person had ever called him Kitty.

"Mari?!"

Manon looks at the two, now very confused. "Uhhhh?... Manon!". She said pointing herself with an awkward grin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nathalie Sancour was a monster of humble origins. She was nothing special in the slightest. She was a harpy; a birdlike creature that followed orders from her boss, Hawkmoth, to a "T" no matter how unpleasant. She was the one who made sure things in the factory ran smoothly.

Lately the factory had been underperforming due to children just not being scared as they were used to in the old days. It was her job, somehow, to make sure the correct amount of energy was being produced.

Imagine her surprise when there was a lot more activity on the scare floor. Dings were constantly heard from one station in almost rapid and steady succession. She looks down and is shocked to find Chat Noir's station covered in canisters. At first she thought merely Chat's demon partner had knocked over some canisters and made a large mess. She than saw an employee come over with a large and deep cart and place the now full canisters in the cart. She vaguely heard a voice go,

"Wow! Noir is on a roll today! He must've beat a record or something!"

She decided then and there that she needed to interview them because she needed to know what Chat Noir did so it could be repeated. The energy rationing was only getting worse and this could be a way to fix things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marinette was pacing in the room. Manon and Chat Noir watching with interest.

"No… no nooooo," she mumbles and then points to Chat Noir with an accusing finger, "You are not real!"

Chat looks at her, clearly insulted.

"Princess…."

He yelps as he is poked in his rib cage area. "He feels real to me, Marinette," said Manon with a giggle.

"Stop poking me, child!"

"My name is Manon~" she laughs as she pokes him again.

"I imagined you … I did … I …."

"Well you have one hell of an imagination."

"LANGUAGE!" Marinette screeches like a banshee and Chat winces in pain. He didn't remember Marinette being so loud.

Marinette holds her head in her hands "I need to think… I need to think…."

A sudden call from Marinette's cell phone gets their attention. She looks at the caller ID and notices it is Manon's mother and she quickly answers it.

"Hello? ….. oh Hello … yes…?" Her face goes pale. "You're almost home? … uh yeah! That's fine! …. NO! Nothing is wrong… no, I am not nervous! …. Everything is fine! See you soon BYE" she quickly hangs up and looks stressed.

"YOU! GO! MANON! BED…. NOW!"

Manon quickly hops into bed and buries her head in the blanket as Marinette pushes the werecat out of the room and towards the closet door. "SHOO, FIGMENT OF MY CHILDHOOD IMAGINATION!"

"I am REAL! Why do you keep denying it!"

She glares, "I will not have anyone think I am crazy, now get back in the closet before I toss you in it myself!"

He glares at her but does as he is told. HE'd rather NOT be shown tossed into the factory. Also he rather not be caught by another human, so he quickly walks out the door as confidently as he can manage.

He is greeted not by Nino but by Nathalie. The one word that screams in his mind is:

"CRAP!"

They stand there for a few minutes with Chat Noir internally screaming and Nathalie observing him with interest.

"Good Job, Chat Noir… Your work today was impressive."

Chat merely blinks. That was new. Being praised was the LAST thing he thought was going to happen.

"Uh …Thank you… What did I do good again?" He asked warily.

She steps aside and his jaw drops to the ground. He sees quite a few carts and Nino was there, counting them and doing his paperwork.

"Was that all … me?"

Nathalie nods "Indeed … this door is a keeper. What did you do differently?"

"I… uh… don't know really… I guess the amount of people in the room helped…"

"Slumber party?"

He nods. It technically wasn't a lie. There was a gathering of people who were slumbering when he first came in. And a gathering of people can be called a party so it wasn't a lie. That was his story, and he was sticking to it.

Nathalie makes a noncommittal hum and looks over the folder. "I already spoke to Lahiffe…. I want this to be one of your children for now. Other monsters have scared this child but not with nearly this level of results. Even with her having her occasional slumber party."

Chat nods, this was more than ok with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next night had a little eager child waiting for him at the door

"KITTY!~" Manon screeches as Chat Noir groans "Not you too… one human calling me kitty is more than enough." She giggles at this and he just looks depressed. They are both unaware that her giggling quickly filled up the canister.

"Where is Marinette?"

"At her houssee~~" chanted the child in an extra sweet and irritating voice.

"Wait… she doesn't live here?"

"Nooopppeee~~"

"Then why was she here last night!"

"Cause she is my favoriteeeee babysitter in the whole wide world~"

"Great… just great."

She laughs at him, "She still thinks you aren't real.. but I know better!"

"Purr-lease don't poke me again. It isn't really punny."

The child makes a face and then laughs harder "I like you! You are silly! Don't worry! If ya wanna see Mari so bad, I will ask Maman to make Mari sit for me more so you can see her!"

He smiles softly at the child and ruffles her hair, "Thanks … now I need you to scream for me ok? So I can come back, cause if I am not scary I can't come back."

"OK! I will scream very… VERY Loud! … But Maman is home so she will run really fast ok? You better hide ok?"

He nods and makes himself ready to bolt as Manon screams at the top of her little lungs. He bolts as soon as he hears footsteps come quickly up the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copycat was a perfectionist. There was no denying that. He had wanted to be an artist in his youth and create the most perfect of art. That dream. However was not meant to come true. So he tried to be the most perfect employee at the Agreste Scare Factory. He had done very well for himself… that was until Chat Noir swooped in and stole his thunder. The kid was flawless and it was irritating. To rub salt into an open wound that little "slumber party" from the day before was extraordinary... miraculous even, and that was more than the older werecat could take. He was going to find the secret of Chat Noir's success … and do it better than he ever could.


	3. The Calm Before The Storm

It took one month for Marinette to finally accept that the events of her childhood were not in fact figments of a lonely little girl's overactive imagination. It was rather hard for her to admit defeat and proclaim that her "imaginary friend" was actually real and eating cookies every other night with her and Manon.

Manon delighted in the pleasant company of her personal "closet kitty monster" and that he kept some of the other scary monsters away. She had joked with him once he was like an attack dog and kept bad monsters away. While he appreciated the sentiment he was not at all pleased on being compared to a dog." Ugly slobbery things" he called them, which only delighted the girls and made them laugh.

"How do you feel about hamsters?" Marinette asked one night as she worked on some pajama designs for her and Manon.

Chat makes a face, "Vile vermin."

Manon tilts her head, "What is vile?"

"Disgusting. They are disgusting and foul beasts that should be disposed of…. Maybe in my stomach," he said with a grin and watched as the girls make faces of disgust mixed with horror.

"Hamsters are cute! I want at least one someday," Marinette proclaims "fight me!"

"We shall protect the hamsters!" Manon cries putting a tiny fist in the air.

He only grins, "It is pawisitivly awful for them that I can turn into a cat... What a cat-astrophe it would be if I found some vile vermin and I were a cat~"

Marinette rolls her eyes and launches a pillow at his face. It connects and he falls flat to the floor as the girls laugh.

Manon then tackles him, "Then we already know your plan and will stop you!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nino was at a loss for words.

Chat Noir was changing. His once serious friend was smiling more. There was a spring in his step. He gave him a freakin nickname… a monster name.

The Bubbler

Granted it was a stupid name and Nino had told him so but the glee in Chat's face was just too much to overcome. So he let Chat call him Bubbler when he wanted.

Now normally, Nino was pretty chill for a demon. He wasn't noisy or tried particularly hard to mess with anyone. Be it human, monster, or other supernatural beings, no one could say Nino Lahiffe did not stay in his own lane and mind his own business.

However, he wanted to know what made his best friend like this. Granted he wasn't mad about it; on the contrary, he loved it. His best bro being so happy made him happy and he wanted it to continue. It can't continue if he didn't know what it was, so he made it his mission to find out.

He cornered his best bro and partner after another highly productive day.

"Sooo~~" Nino said wrapping an arm around Chat's shoulder. "Dude you are on fire… what's your secret!~ "

Chat only shrugs, "No clue."

Nino smirks, "Alright~ but I have a question I know you can answer"

"Shoot."

"Dude… What made you so happy all of a sudden? You are grinning like a Cheshire cat… punning all the damn time; you got a spring in your step. Dude, you have a personality that isn't "Business McModel face" .

Chat Noir laughs awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Uh…"

Nino goes in closer for the kill, "Either you got a raise or you are holding out on me and got yourself a cute girlfriend!"

Chat Noir sputters at that last remark, "W-what?!"

Nino's eyes light up in amusement, "I freakin knew it! Dude I gotta meet her someday… is she cute? Does she got any cute sisters or friends? Help a bro out!"

Chat nearly fell on his face. "Bubbbllleeerr" he whined. " I am seeing absolutely no one… Really! I have no girlfriend or anything! You know how my father is!"

"Ok so tell me WHY you are so darn happy if it isn't a girl," he said wiggling his eyebrows.

Chat looked like a mouse cornered by a cat, which was rather ironic given that he was a werecat.

"I just… feel very proud of myself this month! Look at all the scream energy I am producing this month!" It wasn't a complete lie but it wasn't the full truth. He hoped his friend would drop it and leave it alone.

Nino puts on an act of being convinced even if he knew Adrien was lying to him and not giving him all the details. "Aww you're no fun, dude. Here I was hoping you actually leave your mansion and defy your dad for once in your life."

Chat chuckles and punches his friend in the arm, "We can't all be rebellious, Nino."

"Everyone should," he said with a grin as Chat shrugs. "Come on. Let's go get some food. A new place just opened and I am starving."

"Dude, yes. You are speaking my language."

As they walk to the new place Nino makes a vow, to find out why his friend was so different.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Most little kids would either be afraid of the monster in the closet or not be afraid of it all.

Most children would not think a werecat and their favorite babysitter were in love.

Manon was not like normal children.

Manon was utterly convinced the werecat and her sitter were actually in a Disney movie and all Marinette had to do was kiss Chat Noir and he'd turn into a handsome prince and then Marinette would be a princess. Manon thought it'd be so cool to be babysat by a princess, and maybe Princess Marinette can make Manon a princess as well. It was a foolproof plan to the child. She only wished Marinette wasn't so stubborn in denying things. She had her ways to convince Marinette though. Baby doll eyes seemed to be a very effective way of getting things to go her way.

She loved her sitter, she really did. However she was a blind sitter, and she needed to have things spelled out to her. Her young brilliant mind came up with a simple plan that not only spelled out the obvious love, but it scored Manon free dolls.

Manon sat in Marinette's lap as they sat in front of the television eating dinner.

"Marinettteee~" Manon said facing her sitter with big innocent looking eyes. "Can you make me some dollies~"

"Dollies?"

Manon nods quickly, "Yup! I want dolls of you, me, and Chat!" she said in an all too innocent voice.

Marinette raised her eyebrow impossibly high, "Those are very specific requests, Manon. Why do you want those particular dolls?"

Manon smiles sweetly, "Because we'd be very pretty dolls!" She said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Please Marinette~~ Pleasee~~~" she begged, giving her baby doll eyes to (emphasize) her point.

"Oh alright… but we should ask your mother first…"

"Ok!" she cheered, as Manon's first phase of her plan was put into motion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nino was frustrated.

Another month of not knowing what was going on with his best friend. He was still adamant that Chat was seeing someone, and Chat was just as adamant that he just was happy he was doing so exceptionally well.

It was true, he was doing amazingly. It was the only reason at the moment the shortage wasn't as severe anymore. He produced all kinds of energy from that one door.

That one door….

Nino stops dead in his tracks.

Everything changed when he was assigned to that one door that had been the source of the crazy amounts.

Nino, despite what others seemed to believe, was a pretty observant guy. He wasn't as dumb as he let others believe.

Slowly the pieces were lining up in his mind. Pieces to a puzzle he didn't realize he was putting together. Nino sighs when a very unfortunate conclusion came to his mind.

There was a reason he always took a lot longer in that room and was very secretive about it. A reason he sometimes ditched their after work hang out time and memorized the number of that door even if it wasn't his job.

Chat Noir was in danger. He was becoming attached to a human. That had to be the reason. He hated the idea of going behind his best friend's back but he had to see for himself before he did anything rash. He'd have to be sneaky and follow Chat after hours since it'd be too dangerous to follow his friend during work hours.

He was going to somehow protect his friend even if it meant betraying his trust.

Nino has his chance weeks later, when he learned Chat Noir was not going to go out today. For once Nino did not mind, his plan was going to be put in motion.

Operation Stalk the Black Cat was now starting.

As silently as he could, Nino stalked his friend onto the now abandoned Scare Floor. He was lucky he had a key or else he couldn't stalk. Being a friend of the owner's son did have his perks.

He watched as his friend called a door. Nino's eyebrow quirked up, Chat Noir shouldn't be doing this. He shouldn't be calling doors after hours. All this was super suspicious. He watched as Chat Noir opened the door and disappeared into it.

Chat Noir did not realize he was being followed. He thought he was alone and went to visit his favorite humans.

He closes the door and Nino sneaks over and puts his ear to the door. He could barely hear a thing and decided to slowly and quietly open the door just a bit so he can at least hear what was going on and maybe even see something.

Manon was the first to notice Chat's presence. She grins wildly and gives him a hug.

"Marinettteee~~ Kitty is here!"

Chat makes a face. "I am a cat, not a kitty anymore!" he pouts.

Before Manon can answer Marinette makes her appearance, "We will stop calling you a kitty when you prove that you aren't one."

Manon laughs as Chat Noir groans. "Princessssss~" he whines like he was nine years old again.

Nino's eyes grow wide.

"What… the…. Hell…" he mumbles.

Chat Noir jumps when he hears the low mumble. Unlike the girls with him, his cat ears allow him to have extremely good hearing.

He turns and faces the door in a defensive and protective pose.

Manon does not notice but Marinette does. She walks next to him "Chat…?"

"Thought I heard something I shouldn't," he growls as he stares at the closet door and Nino makes himself small. Chat Noir goes to the door and Nino quickly disappears from sight. Chat looks out into the factory and sees nothing as he closes the door again.

"I think you are just hearing things…" Marinette says as Chat Noir calms down a bit.

"Maybe... I just… am a bit jumpy… especially considering what happened last time…"

Manon smiles as she thrusts some cookies into his face, "You need cookies! Mari's papa said when you are worried you need cookies!"

The two teens laugh. "You think she is kidding but he always says that." Marinette replies as Chat happily feasts on the cookies.

"Hey, I never turn down cookies!"

Nino returns and hears the conversations. These human girls turned his best friends from a wild cat into a compliant little house cat. If he didn't know better he'd think they were witches. He was gonna have to confront his friend somehow. Chat Noir was playing a dangerous game and he needed to be stopped before someone got hurt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Manon giggles as she gets ready for a sleepover with Marinette. Her mother had to pull an all-nighter that Saturday and some the next day was Sunday; Marinette could stay over with no fear of school. Today was also the day Marinette promised the dolls would finally be done and in her possession. It also helped that Manon could stay late and have some junk food. So even if her plan went horribly astray, her night would still be great.

She put on the oversized night shirt she got from Disneyland Paris that proudly proclaimed "Best Disney Princess" and some comfy sleep pants. She was too excited. She nearly tackles her sitter when she arrives at the door. Marinette and Nadja laugh at her eagerness.

"Be good, Manon." Her mother said with a kiss to her forehead. I will see you tomorrow morning, ok? Maybe in the afternoon. I will bring you a nice lunch if you are a good girl."

Manon grins wildly and jumps up and down. "Oooh! I will be the best girl! No worries, Maman!"

She smiles as she has a few final words with Marinette and she leaves the house.

"Call me if anything goes wrong! Bye! Thanks again, Marinette!" She waves and she disappears into her car. As soon as she is out of sight, Manon closes the door and yanks her sitter's hand and happily chants, "Change! Change into your pajamas! It is a pajama party just like in those American television shows!"

She laughs and does as she is told and changes into a light pajama set that was ladybug themed. She even wore her ladybug hair clip that Chat gave her. She hadn't worn it in a while, and if Chat came by it might give him a bit of a nostalgia attack which she had learned was a rather amusing thing.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" she fished in her overnight back and out of her blanket she pulled out three little dolls. One of herself, Manon and Chat Noir, just as Manon wanted. Manon squealed in delight and grabbed them. She hugged to her little chest and twirled "You are the best babysitter in the whole world!"

Marinette laughs, "I try."

Manon races off to her room as Marinette gets some snacks ready and takes them upstairs.

While binging on some Disney Princess movies, Manon decides to reenact some classic scenes with her dolls.

She "conveniently" made Marinette and Chat Noir as the leads.

Right now she was reenacting Sleeping Beauty.

"And then…. they KISS!" she squeals as she mashes the Marinette and Chat Noir dolls together. Marinette looks utterly red in the face at this.

"M-MANON! DON'T YOU HAVE OTHER DOLLS FOR THIS!" she says in an embarrassed and high pitched squeal.

With the dolls still kissing she smiles widely, "but I love these new dollies! I want to play with them now~"

At that moment Chat strolls in and greets the girls, immediately noticing Manon's little show with the dolls

"Uhhh…" He focuses on the dolls with a very red face.

"Hi, Chaton!" Manon cheerfully replies and Marinette hides her head in Manon's unruly hair as the little girl is sitting on her lap, and a muffled "hi" escapes her.

"Marinette made me new dolls!~ I love them!" she squeals. She shows off all three of the dolls.

"T-they are very nice… Manon…" he said trying to regain his composure. He was embarrassed by it but at the same time he wasn't opposed to the idea of kissing Marinette…

He shook his head to clear it. Where did THAT idea even come from?

After they get past that little event, they spend time together eating junk food until Manon ends up falling asleep.

The two watch the young child sleep peacefully.

"She is… something else, isn't she?" Chat Noir whispers. "Would you believe me if I told you she is a little powerhouse? Like her energy is making our energy rationing less severe. She produces so much… it's amazing. Her screams, even fake ones, are pretty potent."

Marinette grins, "Well… I won't lie; she is a bundle of energy and keeps me on my toes." She said as she brushes the hair out of the child's face.

He smiles "It shows… Anyway, I gotta go before someone gets suspicious."

She nods, "Good Night, Chat Noir."

"Goodnight, Princess Marinette."

She rolls her eyes as she walks him to the closet door and waves him off.

He sneaks back onto the scare floor and recalls the door, completely unaware someone was eyeing him with green eyes that looked remarkably like his. The figure waits and watches as Chat Noir leaves the factory. The figure waits for a while longer before putting its plan into action.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chat Noir was in a great mood when he waltzed into his apartment. He got it as soon as he saved enough money. The mansion that used to be his home had nothing on this small and homey apartment. He shared it with his best friend Nino, and he was eternally grateful that he was not on his own entirely.

He knew his roommate was asleep, so he had to get into the house stealthily. Not that it was hard; he was a cat after all.

The surprise was clear on Chat's face when he was greeted by Nino, sitting on his comfy overstuffed chair in almost complete darkness. A single floor lamp shone on Nino and he had a very serious look on his face.

"Hello, Chat Noir. Glad to see you made it home in one piece."

"Uh… yeah?"

"Dude… We need to talk about your after work activities. I am…. To put it lightly, highly concerned."

Chat got pale and his only thought was, "He KNOWS."


	4. Where is Manon?

Hawkmoth was pacing and agitated.

His business and livelihood were in danger.

Humans these days stopped being useful when they stopped being scared and giving monsters scare energy.

Profits were at an all time low and led to power being at an all time low. Blackouts were so common it was beginning to affect even him.

That was the biggest problem.

There had to be a solution to all of this.

All his past attempts to fix this problem seemed to have failed.

His secret lair and converted dungeon under the scare factory was full of failed experiments and prisoners.

For years, he tried different things. Producing artificial screams, kidnapping others to see if their energy was comparable.

It wasn't till he met the wizard named Nooroo, that he finally got a possible solution to this large problem.

Nooroo was a wizard with some fairy blood in him. Fairy blood was a rare thing to have, but did enhance a possible latent magic.

It was an easy thing for Hawkmoth to break Nooroo's will. Nooroo was a meek but powerful wizard. Hawkmoth got him to talk pretty quickly after he isolated him from the witch he was captured with and starved them.

One day Hawkmoth came upon white butterflies that originated from Nooroo, and the answer to his energy problem had appeared.

Akumas.

As easily corruptible as the wizard himself.

He could corrupt these butterflies and change non-monsters into positively ferocious monsters. One by one, the monster population started to grow and this made him quite pleased.

These monsters did actually produce a little bit of energy, but not nearly enough to make a dent in the energy shortage.

It was time to bring his Akumas to the humans. However, he needed to do one last experiment. All he needed was a little human child to see if he could turn her into an energy-producing monster.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alya Césaire was a witch on a mission. She was looking for information on the disappearance of fellow supernatural beings. She wanted to find out what was going on. There were so many weird things happening, and she had to find out what it was.

Her goal in life was to work for Monstropolis News as a reporter and be the best one ever. To break into a mostly monster field, and knock everyone out of the park. This would be her big break; she just knew it.

All of her research, investigations and snooping had led her to the Agreste Scare factory, and she stood before it with a determined look. She had to get in that factory somehow; all she needed was a plan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Manon was playing in her bed with her dolls. Marinette had gone downstairs to make them both a nice dinner. She was so excited because Marinette promised that after dinner they would have ice cream and cookies. It was a rare treat, and she was going to relish this rare event.

The lights then suddenly flipped off and the door begins to open slowly. She bolts up "Mari?!" She looks up and sees a pair of a somewhat familiar pair of cat eyes.

"Chat? Kitty? "

The eyes glow more yellow and Manon let out a scream.

Her world became black as she hears a crash from the downstairs in the kitchen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She had lost them.

How could she have lost them?

She was terrified and confused. Terrified for Manon and what could have happened to her and confused as to why someone from Chat's world would willingly even touch a human.

Nothing was making any sense and she needed to find Manon. She had to find Chat Noir; he could explain what the heck was going on and help her out.

She wasn't stupid, she couldn't jump into anything else without thinking. She was already helplessly lost, that monster had disappeared without a trace and she was in an unfamiliar world.

She, at this very moment, was royally screwed.

She had been sneaking around for about an hour when she came across another human. She sighs in relief and runs to the person.

" They took you too?!"

"Took me?"

"Yea! They took Manon! They took her and I lost them!"

"….I see… is this Manon… a human?"

"Yes, of course… aren't you?!" She looked at the dark skinned girl. She was dressed somewhat oddly but looked nothing like the monsters who took Manon.

"… This is the scoop of the century."

Marinette looks confused "Uh…. ?"

Alya grabs Marinette and drags her away and into the shadows and makes a notebook appear out of nowhere, and Marinette's eyes grow wide.

"You … you aren't …."

"I am a witch! Now tell me! How did you get here!? Why are you here? Who took this Manon!? Was it a monster?!"

"Err…" Marinette fidgets a bit. "I got in through a door that leads through a factory… Isn't it obvious why I am here? I am looking to get those awful monsters who took Manon!" She then bites her lip, "I need to find Chat Noir…"

Her eyes widen, "How would a human know of Chat Noir… The son of the owner of the scare factory… they are like the nobility of the monster world."

"We are friends?"

Alya's eyebrow hikes up impossibly high "You are friends … with the Chat Noir… the son of a monster so adamant on keeping the current social order. The monster who hates humans with the passion of a thousand suns?!"

"Uh….yes? I mean I am friends with a werecat named Chat Noir whose father would neglect his birthday every year when we were kids? A father who was obsessed with work and stuff?"

Alya was happily noting down all this info. Oh this was such a scoop the newspapers will be begging her for more of her works. An exclusive interview with a human with a connection to the factory. She was on to something; she just knew it.

They turn when they hear a sudden movement and Alya glares. "Darn it… they are on to us…"

"Who?!"

The witch looks in her leather bag and pulls out a wand and taps Marinette's head with it.

"Follow my lead if you want to live."

A group of monsters burst in and Alya stood her ground. The new group was dressed like police officers from the human world.

"Evening officers," Alya said in a cool tone.

"We smelled humans. The area just outside of this area reeks of human."

"Human? I haven't seen any or smelled any. Me and my friend here had come from Romero Street and using this alleyway to get to market."

The officers smell the area and realize it doesn't have any scent of human in this area.

"If you see any suspicious events or humans, let us know immediately."

Marinette nods as Alya answers for them, "Of course."

"Do not engage with any humans. Remember they are toxic to your health."

"Of course, officer. " Alya takes ahold of Marinette's hand and leads her away from the officer.

"Let's go to my home, ok? You owe me a lot more information, Miss..."

"Marinette... my name is Marinette."

Alya grins, "Alya Césaire, junior witch, investigator and shapeshifter in training!" She then winks "Also, I am gonna be your new body guard! All you have to do is follow my lead and I got you! I casted a temporary enchantment on ya so you don't smell human."

She gives a deadpan look, "Are you saying I stink?"

"Actually no... You smell vaguely like cookies and bread... but all humans have a unique smell that everyone can pick up on and single you out. Humans... aren't exactly well received..."

Marinette nods, " Y-yea...Chat... might have mentioned the 'humans are toxic...' kinda thing..."

"I know the feeling ... Witches aren't the most loved creatures here... to monsters, I am one step above you ... no offense. "

"None taken, Alya. "

"Anyway! I had a feeling Hawkmoth was shady! Maybe I will actually get some answers to all these weird disappearances... Didn't think he'd consider taking human kids... and be so sloppy about it. Let me take you to my house..."

"But Manon..."

"We can plan to infiltrate the factory. Besides, my spell won't last that long. Better I take you home and refresh the spell. I rather not get us taken to jail... or worse."

Marinette sighs, "Alright... but as soon as we come up with a plan, we go find Manon!"

"Got it. And after all that is done and Manon is safe, I will get an exclusive interview from you~"

"Uh... ok?"

"Excellent! I help you; you help me! Win-Win!"

"Let's go home and plot the downfall of a scumbag and save a kidnapped child! "

"You are oddly excited about this... I feel worried all of a sudden."

"Don't worry! We got this under control! I have connections!"

"Well uh... yea let's just go to your house and plan properly."

Alya smirks, "Time to plan a break into the factory."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Manon was dumped into a room. She was terrified; she did not know what to do or what happened. The last thing she remembered were these golden green eyes in the dark. They reminded her of Chat Noir but creepier. He was clearly a werecat but scarier; like the old monsters who scared her before Marinette came up and tried to beat up Chat Noir. She sniffles a bit; she was already overwhelmed and scared.

"Oh, you poor thing..."

Manon turns and sees someone in the holding cell with her.

It is a small lady with large blue eyes and short vibrant red hair and black bangs. She was dressed in red with black dots. Her once vibrant and beautiful blouse and skirt combo was rather dirty and torn. She was shackled to the wall.

Manon rubs her tear filled eyes.

"W-who are you?"

The woman tries to get as close as she can before the chains restrain her. She can clearly smell Manon's distinctly human scent but chooses to ignore it to comfort her. She looked so young and helpless; it hurt her. She hesitantly reached out for Manon, praying she wasn't as toxic as others made it seem.

Manon sniffles and goes to the human looking figure. She felt oddly calm and drawn to this new person. She walks over and gets close. She isn't chained yet, so she can easily get to the new woman.

"D-did t-they ... t-take you from home too?" Manon asks in a sad voice. "I wanna go home... I'm scared..."

"The woman, Tikki, looked at the poor child and pet her head gently. " Yes... he took me and my other friend away from our home. I don't know where he is either and I want to go home too."

Manon is about to say something more but yawns.

"It's past your bedtime, isn't it Sweetie?"

The little girl nods and Tikki lets her rest her head on her stomach as she continues to pet and soothe her. "Sleep, little one... sleep and have good dreams for a bit. I will stay with you."

Her words seemed to have some kind of magical component to them, since Manon drifted off fairly quickly and was out like a light for a few hours.

"I may not be able to help myself right now... but I can help you sleep and have good dreams little one..." Tikki whispers.


	5. I Know You Know Something

Chat Noir was nervous and pacing in his station.

Nino hisses, "Calm down."

"How can I? Something is going on! What is the CDA doing here?!"

The factory was closed and the employees were simply standing around waiting for the all clear,

Chat Noir flagged down an already slightly agitated and stressed Nathalie.

"What is going on?" He asked, still jittery.

"A human seems to have escaped."

"What?!"

"You ... you didn't smell it, Noir? I mean, it is faint but..."

Truth be told, Chat Noir didn't even register the distinctly different scent of human. He'd been around them so long he was nose blind to it.

"There was a human here, maybe two ... the smell is all in the factory and near the market. Then it just... vanishes without a trace."

"I ...see... so... no hints or anything?"

"None... all we can do is hang tight until the CDA releases us. We are trying to keep this under wraps to prevent panic, which is why no one is allowed to leave and we did not call to tell you not to come in."

"I see..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alya had sat down on her bed and was eating some food as Marinette looks at it repulsed.

"You're acting like you never had fish eyes before," Alya said as Marinette raises a brow. "No I haven't ... Not my thing." She shivers at it.

"Your loss, girl." Alya reaches over and grabs the eyes. She plops them into her mouth and thinks. "So, we got a plan?"

Marinette nods as she smooths out the map of the factory. "Your father has friends in high places..."

Alya looks proud, "Yup! All we gotta do is get us some enchantments and peek around till we find something suspicious! "

She had Marinette's ladybug hairpin in her hand and was enchanting it to hide her human scent.

"This should last a lot longer, can't have your human scent stink up the place," she joked as Marinette made a face.

"Time to go, girl!"

Alya pulls out her wand and uses magic to mask herself and Marinette to look more like monsters.

Alya gives herself a more foxlike appearance, so that she looked more like a shapeshifter or werefox. Marinette is given a more furry appearance.

Alya grabs Marinette's hand, having long ago learned that this human was not toxic, and drags her to the factory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The girls look up at the large formidable factory. Alya adjusted her glasses and looks at Marinette, "Don't lose that clip."

"I won't," Marinette said rolling her eyes. "It's too precious to be lost."

Alya groans, "Just come on." She grabs Marinette's hand and leads her into a back door of the factory so they could easily sneak into the factory.

After a few hours they come across a demon, all alone looking at some paperwork. He looked distracted and Alya smirked.

"We are getting nowhere fast," Marinette hisses.

"Relax... Let the master work. Just follow my lead."

It didn't take long to ambush the unsuspecting Nino. With a few strategic waves of her wand, Alya had subdued the demon and Marinette had easily managed to drag him to a janitor's closest.

Once there, Alya grinned, "Dang girl... are ... your kind always so strong."

"No... my family just has to do a lot of heavy lifting for a living."

"Color me impressed!"

Nino's eyes widen as an orange sparkling light surrounds his captors to reveal their true forms. From his first look, he assumed it was two witches, although one was dressed oddly in some kind of sleepwear. Which was a rather odd clothing choice for the middle of the day.

The girls then turn to face their captive.

"Alright buddy!" Alya started as she cracked her fingers. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. All we want is some answers and then once we get them I will erase your memory for a bit. You won't remember this for a few weeks, and by then this will be so not worth it that you won't say a thing to anyone."

"We need Chat Noir," Marinette said putting her hands on her hips, trying to look as threatening as possible in her pajamas.

Alya nods, " Yup! And you will lead us to him! Or to someone who can lead us to him, or else..."

She looks wickedly at Nino's lower area, "Let's just say you will be in a world of pain and I won't even need to use my magic."

Nino's eyes grow wide. 'What... the hell... This woman is insane!' he thought but he nodded quickly. He needed to protect Little Nino.

"Ladies... I can lead you to him, but..." He looks them up and down. "It might be a bit difficult... the CDA is here and giving everyone interviews... the place is on lockdown. You two will stick out...

"CDA?" Marinette says tilting her head confused but Alya ignores it. "Leave it to me... Marinette! I need you to watch demon boy here while I find two monsters to impersonate."

She makes sure Nino's magical binds were tight, and she disappeared.

In less than thirty minutes Alya strolls back into the closet using magic to drag back two sleeping monsters.

Nino recognized the two monsters as coworkers who worked on their floor but he never interacted with. Alya then taps herself and Marinette and they turned into the monsters who now shared the closet with them.

"Alright demon boy, lead the way and make it snappy. We got people to find and return."

"Return?"

"None of ya buisness!" Alya snaps as she puts Nino in between herself and Marinette. "Remember what I said! Try to escape and a world of pain awaits you."

Nino gulps 'witches are terrifying' he thinks as he tries to find Chat's location. "The demon world is much more calm than this… why did I move here again?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chat Noir had a perfect poker face. He had to, as the perfect son of Hawkmoth.. Even though his poker face in front of the CDA agents was absolutely perfect, it felt like an epic poker face battle.

The interview was grueling somehow. It felt like the CDA was trying to pull out all his secrets and put him in jail. His contact with the human world made him such a criminal and they might even accuse him of releasing a human into their world even if he knew humans were harmless.

He eventually is let go as the CDA cannot get any usable information out of him. He takes a breath as he hurries out of the building but is stopped by Nino and two other monsters.

Chat Noir stared at Nino and the two monsters they do not usually hang out with it.

"Uh... Nino? ..."

"Come with me Chat. We have some ... things to discuss... " Nino said looking very awkward.

Chat raises an eyebrow but follows silently.

One of the monsters kept looking at him oddly and he just stares back. Said monster makes an odd noise and looks ahead all awkwardly.

"Weird..." Chat Noir thought as they all make their way into an empty room

Alya takes a breath, "Finally! I can't hold onto the spell anymore!"

Alya releases the spell and the two giant monsters turned into two smaller girls.

Chat jumps when the room was engulfed in light, and he stops dead when he sees a very familiar face.

"Hey Chat... I need help."

"What are YOU doing here?" he demands; angry and scared all at once.

Marinette angrily crosses her arms, "I am here trying to find Manon!"

"What?!" he shrieks. "Where is she?!"

"I don't know! All I know is I left her in her room for a few minutes and than I heard her scream and the closest door led here.

Chat looked more and more like an agitated cat, some of his fur bristling up. It would be rather funny if the situation wasn't so serious.

Alya crosses her arms. "Well we need to investigate. Suspicious things are happening in this place and I need answers. I have heard rumors that there's something in basement of this place. Let's start there."

Nino was about to reject the whole thing but Chat beats him to it. "There is no basement. I should know, I explored this place since I could walk. Also my father never told me of any basement..."

Alya looks at him, "Are you afraid of what you could find? I still want to look around. Unless you don't want to find this Manon."

Chat growls at Alya, clearly not liking what she was saying. Alya holds her grin and grabs Marinette

"C'mon Mari, since he will not help we will do it ourselves."

Chat grabs Mari and pulls her back and growls at Alya. Nino steps back already feeling very wary of his friend.

"Just because I do not believe this rumor does not mean I will not go with you. Marinette and Manon do not belong here and I do not trust them with anyone here but me. "

Nino gulps, some of Chat's more scary catlike tendencies were coming out.

Alya rolls her eyes, "Yeah yeah, let's go then."

Chat pouts and glares at Nino, "Why are YOU going along with this... you are supposed to be my best mate."

Nino looks terrified at Alya who is smirking.

"Little Nino."

Chat raises an eyebrow confused and then his eyes widen in realization. "Never mind... I would have done the same. "

Marinette blushes and Alya laughs "Remember, demon boy~ I can and will hit your weak points. Your-" Marinette screeches "-is in my hands right now," Alya finishes as Marinette's screech acted as a censor.

As they are upstairs, questionable things were happening in the basement that Chat Noir didn't know exist.


	6. The Rise and Fall of Puppeteer

Manon had been in the dungeon for only one night and was just starting to to feel some comfort from Tikki when she was dragged kicking and screaming away from her. Tikki tried to stop it but her magical powers were too weak and her chains were too strong. Tikki could only watch in horror as monsters dragged away the screaming child.

She probably would never forget the terrified wide eyes of the six year old human.

Tikki shivered as over the course of a few hours she could feel shift in aura from not only the child but of her dear friend Nooroo. There was so much fear and pain and she was powerless to help either one of them, and that was the worst of it all.

As she tried to escape, a fluttering noise caught her attention. A familiar glowing butterfly passed by her. It was obviously one of Nooroo's, but it was odd. Instead of the brilliant and glowing white she was used to, it was a dull grey.

Something was wrong, very wrong.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Manon was openly weeping and in the fetal position on the dirty floor. She had been there for hours. She was terrified and in extreme pain. It had been hell for the child, and she would do anything to make it end.

It was then that Hawkmoth deemed she was ready to receive the Akuma. He, using Nooroo's power, corrupted the pure white butterfly into a deep purple and it flew off to meet the little girl. It landed on one of her now askew ponytail holders. Quickly, in a show of dark purple and black light, the little girl changed into a new being. One that somewhat resembled the little girl but gave her a more monstrous form. Blue and black was the clear color scheme and her hands and legs were laced with glistening clear stings.

She lets out a scream of anger and then the light bulbs in the basement exploded.  
"Excellent" Hawkmoth said, standing in front of the now dubbed Puppeteer. Hawkmoth, now drunk in his success, did not notice the now glowing magenta eyes glaring at him, plotting.

The lights started flickering erratically in the factory.

Chat Noir was the first to notice, and glanced around, highly concerned. Nino was confused as well, and looks around.

"That can't be good." Nino says, concerned.

They all ran toward the spot where the lights were most erratic. Some lights were even off, as they exploded already. More lights exploded and everyone shielded themselves as sharp glass went flying.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hawkmoth grinned at his creation, quite proud of his work. He then attempted to psychically reconnect with his Akuma and that was where things went wrong for him. The akuma was angry, scared and confused with the temperament of a child. The child roared at him and absolutely refused to listen to him. She used her magical threads to tie up Hawkmoth and control him like a puppet.

Hawkmoth let out a slight but still rather undignified yelp as he was now controlled by the child akuma. He would be proud if he was not the puppet himself. The child tested her powers and he moved around to her will. She looked amused at first then quickly got angry again.

"I hate you! I hate you!" She roars as she slams him into a wall. This is when Chat Noir, Nino, Alya and Marinette burst into the room. Blinded by her rage, Puppeteer did not recognise Chat Noir or Marinette and sent her strings to attempt to trap and control the others.

Chat Noir grabs Marinette and whisks her away as Nino opens his wings and flies away. Alya is mesmerized. She has to be dragged away by Nino as she tries to magically record all this, especially Hawkmoth being controlled,like a rag doll.

"I don't know what is going on ... but somehow I feel he deserved it," She said as she pulled a barrier spell to defend herself.

Chat Noir pushes Marinette away behind a door to keep her safe. "We'll get this taken care of!"

Marinette glares "You expect me to just sit back and do nothing?"

Chat Noir sighs, "You are human in a world of monsters, I don't know what you could do. We'll take care of it and find Manon, ok? Just ... stay safe please."

Marinette crosses her arms and glares, "Fine, just go. I'll look for Manon away from that angry monster."

Chat Noir nods and runs off to help Nino and Alya.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marinette gets away from the monster fighting and goes into scouting mode. She looks around, gently calling for Manon. She then sees a charcoal grey butterfly. She follows it and than hears something strange. She can not describe it but it piques her curiosity, and then she sees a large door. She opens it and is greeted by a row of cells.

Marinette finds the prison cell where she hears some rattling chains. She manages to pull the lock open and push the heavy door open. There she sees a woman who looks dirty and exhausted. The woman looks up.

"You... you heard me ..."

"Yes?... " Marinette states in a confused tone but makes herself to the chained woman.

"Help me... I can... help ... Nooroo... power... I can purify... need help..." She said in between heavy breaths.

Marinette nods as she picks the locks to the woman's chains. As soon as the woman's chains were off she took her earrings off and puts them on a confused Marinette.

" I need you to trust me. Say Tikki ... Transform me... Just do it please... I need you... to help"

"Tikki... Transform me... ?"

A bright light engulfs the two and all Marinette can hear is a soft "Forgive me ... " from the woman.

When the light fades there stands what seems to be two people in one. It didn't look like quite like Marinette or quite like Tikki, but a weird hybrid of the two who was masked and very much looked like a human ladybug.

Marinette is panicking, it feels like she is floating in a room full of water. She hears a small cough and turns to face the woman she had just helped.

"Where are we?!"

Tikki bites her lip, " I know this is odd... but we are in you."

"What?"

"We are more like in your subconscious. Our meeting point. We are sharing your body. I need you and you need me. We can work together." Tikki smiles widely and grabs Marinette's hands " Everything will be fine I promise. Trust me?"

"... I think so?"

Tikki smiles, "I know I can, and I do want to help that poor little human..."

"What do you mean? "

"Hours ago, I met a poor little human girl. She was so scared and tired and then they took her away and now I sense anger and a weird auras."

"That.. That has to be Manon..."

"I never got her name but ...I bet it was her. Humans are rare here..."

"Let's go. Maybe that monster the others are fighting has the answers."

Tikki nods. "We can switch control of your body. I'll take control when I need to use my powers to help purify."

"Let's go then ... "

This new form of Tikki and Marinette had a useful flying ability, and in that weird subconscious plane, Marinette smiles, her voice comes out of the mouth of the shared body.

"If I wasn't so worried for Manon, this would be the coolest thing ... "I am flying..."

"Perk of combining like this. I can naturally fly," Tikki replied her voice now being the one coming out of the body. "

"What are you anyway..."

"... well... I am ..." She is about to reply when a wall explodes next to them and Chat Noir comes flying out of it.

"Chat!" Marinette screams as she tries to take more control to run over to him.

Chat Noir shakes a bit to clear his head and now upset "Princess! I told you" he starts angrily. He than turns to yell at her, but his voice stops when he sees this being that most certainly isn't the Marinette he is used to.

"Call us Ladybug," Tikki said as her voice shifts into position. "Don't worry, the human girl ... The one you call princess is fine. I will explain later. We are just combined for a bit... duck!"

They both narrowly avoid a metal table being thrown at them.

" A rampaging monster?" Tikki said a thoughtful tone to her voice , "I need to get closer..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had been working on trying to subdue the monster. It had been violent to all but mostly to Hawkmoth. She was clearly angry at him the most. Puppeteers main attack seemed to be using Hawkmoth as a weapon against them and using her strings to wrap them up . She controlled his movements and made him fight against his son and his companions. Of course she did not utilize Hawkmoths full range of attacks, as she did not know them but she was still a formidable opponent.

The Tikki part of Ladybug looks at the monster and scrutinize her. "I see an odd aura around this monster. I see at least two or three. An odd non-monster one, Nooroo, and someone else, another monster... possibly a shifter or were?"

The voice shifts and it is obviously Marinette's "Non human?!"

Chat Noir dodges a semi limp Hawkmoth attacking him. "Could it be Manon?"

Tikki's voice came back and spoke "I don't know... it is being overpowered by Nooroo and the other monster."

"Well , how will we separate them? " Alya said as she nearly misses more strings "Wow, that was too close."

"Nooroo has been corrupted somehow. Their butterflies usually land on something, a link is formed and they can be transformed into their champion. This is not a normal champion.. I don't know what this is but it's wrong."

"Manon, listen to me… it's ok, little Angel… I am gonna take you home soon… I promise… remember me, ok? It's me. Marinette.."

The child monster roars at her but she stands her ground.

The Marinette side of Ladybug took over, "Shh Manon... It's ok ... we are ok. " she cooed. "I know you are scared, but this isn't like you . Do you want to go home?"

The monster is starting to calm down and whispers, "Yes."

Marinette smiles and hugs the monster. Puppeteer stiffens and calms.

Tikki whispers in her mind. "I sense the Akuma is her left ponytail holder. break it and we can purify it. She will go back to normal. " Marinette nods and removes the ponytail holder from her hair. Puppeteer barely noticed as the hair in the ponytail is released. She breaks the holder and a dark purple almost black butterfly is released.

"What the..." Nino mumbles as Tikki takes control of the body and uses her yo yo to capture the corrupted butterfly.

"No more evil doing for you, little akuma," they both say at the same time and as the butterfly is released it is now pure white and glowing beautifully.

"Bye Bye, Little Butterfly." they both said, their voices melding together in perfect unison.

Puppeteer reverts back to Manon and falls into Ladybug's arms.

A weird sound comes out of them and Chat Noir jumps up to their aid. He turns into his cat form as it is faster.

Chat Noir in his cat form was bigger than any wild cat Marinette ever seen. He looked like a scary version of a mutant panther. He was almost as big as her, with a black to green shifting coat, huge claws and even sharper teeth.

"Dudes, we gotta get outta here. I got a bad feeling," Nino said. He helped Ladybug put the tired Manon on Chat's back and the group fled into the night, leaving a destroyed underground basement and and unconscious Hawkmoth in their wake.


	7. The Village of the Kwami

Marinette releases the transformation and instead of a witch, a little bug shaped being is released and Marinette catches her. Tikki looks utterly exhausted and worn out. She immediately curls into a ball in Marinette's hands. 

 

"What the heck..." Alya breathes.

 

"A Kwami?! Those still exist? Didn't see THAT coming. I thought they went extinct thousands of years ago..." Nino remarks, utterly amazed.

 

"Kwami... what is a Kwami?!" Marinette says, trying to keep Tikki safe in her hands. She wouldn't want this strange bug-rat-monster-thing to get hurt.

 

Alya's eyes grow wide; this is a day of revelations. However curious she was right now though, it would have to wait until they found somewhere safe.

 

"Kwamis are a very rare type of monster that can combine with others to enhance each other. I know some consider them like a beneficial parasite, in a way. They were thought to be extinct…or almost extinct. " Alya explains she than puts her finger to her chin. "I wonder if this Nooroo is one as well.”

 

Chat says nothing as he is in his cat form carrying a knocked out Manon. He is clearly tense and no one says anything to him. Marinette keeps the now tiny Tikki safe in her arms and tries not to jostle her around as she runs.

 

They finally stop just outside the city limits and hide near some foliage. By this time, Tikki has rested a bit and is somewhat awake. She settles herself in Marinette's hands as if they were a chair.

 

"Um... I did not intend for my disguise to wear off like this.... "

 

Alya eyes light up, "Ah! That makes sense, hiding in plain sight! You must be quite powerful to hold up a magical disguise like that."

 

Manon shifts a bit and begins to wake up. She mumbles something along the lines of " Fluffy ... warm" and cuddles deeper into Chat's black fur.

 

Tikki looks a bit ashamed "I ... I really need your help. I can help the child in return. I have a friend who is really good at healing. He can heal the child and I can return to my husband. "

 

"Your husband?"

 

"Yes, his name is Plagg and we were separated when ... the round up happened." she shivered. "All I know is he wasn't captured. I didn't sense him at the factory like I did Nooroo... Poor Nooroo...."

 

"Your friend ... can heal Manon?" Marinette asks quietly.

 

"Yes, he is very good at it. The best, in fact. I don't know all the injuries she sustained... but..." Tikki closes her large eyes trying to calm down. "It wasn't good. I could almost feel her fear and pain. It is a skill I have, but cannot do much with other than locate people. I know you two probably want to get home as soon as possible, but... I don't know if human doctors could help her. I don't know what they did to her."

 

Marinette grows deathly pale and Chat's ears are pinned down to his head. He curls his body even closer to Manon as if she were in immediate danger. It was very clear he was distressed.

 

Alya thinks about the situation. "That might be best ... plus something tells me Hawkmoth isn't thrilled with us right now. He saw what we look like ... and would recognize you two." She looks at Chat Noir and Nino." He may have some police or even the CDA after us soon. We might need to hide out a bit until we are strong enough to sneak back in."

 

Nino groans, " Crap. You're right. This is not good…"

 

Chat nods. "We should go then..." he replies, keeping his voice low as to not wake Manon.

 

Tikki nods and flies up and into Marinette's hair. "The journey will take about a day and a half, but I can lead the way. We should go now and rest when we get too tired. The sooner we get there, the better for all of us." Tikki explained with an oddly chipper tone. Whether Tikki was actually cheery or it was just her natural tone was anyone's guess. 

 

The group agrees with Tikki, and after putting Manon back on Chat's back they resume their journey to where Tikki would lead them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Nadja Chamack had called Marinette's cell phone multiple times. She was worried. Normally Marinette was very good at answering her calls, but her mother senses were tingling and she was worried.

 

She gets to her home and opens the door. It is eerily empty for being just a bit past ten o’ clock in the morning. If anything, Manon would be wide-awake and banging on pots and pans. It unnerves her. She calls for the two girls, and ends up in the kitchen.

 

She tries Marinette's phone again and hears it go off, right in front of her on the table. She sniffs at the air, concerned about the smell of the kitchen, and then sees a pot of something on the stove. She can’t tell exactly what it is, as it is horribly burned. The stove is on low heat and some utensils are on the floor as if Marinette had bolted from the spot.

 

She was starting to feel even more unnerved very quickly.

 

She races up the stairs toward Manon's room. The door is wide open, messy and empty of her daughter or her sitter.

 

She runs around frantically throughout the house, and is now terrified as she cannot find them. She calls Marinette's parents in a last ditch effort to locate the girls.

 

When it turns out that neither have heard from their children, they begin a frantic search at all their usual spots, and even involve some of Marinette's known friends. When their searches provide no new leads, they have no choice but to report the girls missing. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It took hours before the party got too tired and had to rest for the night. Nino and Alya volunteered to take first watch. 

 

They keep awake by talking and observing their friends.

 

A cat-form Adrien had curled himself around Manon and lulled the child to sleep. In the process, Marinette sat next to them and began to pet Chat's head as he fell asleep. Marinette had ended up moving his head into her lap. 

 

"This seems... very domestic," Alya says to Nino, a safe distance from them.

 

"You have no idea... There may as well be a flashing neon sign above them saying that Chat adopted them."

 

"What do you mean?" Alya asks as she watches Marinette yawn and get comfortable. It is obvious that she herself is falling asleep. 

 

Nino rolls his shoulders and points to Chat and Manon. "You see, when a werecat curls over someone or something, it is kind of a claim to other weres that they are a part of a pack. In short, he has claimed Manon as a packmate and he will protect her from others. Him sleeping and allowing Marinette to pet his head means he trusts her to care for him and Manon. It is a very high level of trust."

 

He then turns to Alya with a serious expression, "Let's just say if anything were to happen to them, there will be hell to pay. Chat is VERY protective of what he deems "his”." 

 

Alya nods. "I see.... These aren't just some random humans, are they? So...I guess he knows them very well?"

 

"From what I understand, Chat has known Marinette for years. When they were kids, he tried to scare her when he snuck into her door. Manon was originally a kid he was supposed to scare, and Marinette was babysitting her at the time." 

 

Alya crosses her arms, "So... Chat here has been friends with Marinette for years, huh?"

 

"Yeah." 

 

Alya closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, "Do you feel like you were lied to?"

 

"Lied to?" 

 

"Yeah... that humans are toxic? Clearly we are hanging out and touching humans, and nothing is happening.”

 

Nino blinks and sighs, " I .... You're right." He looks at his clawed hands "I don't feel any different, not poisoned or anything...." 

 

"There is some shady stuff happening here ... these lies and stuff ... I want to get to the bottom of all this crap."

 

"This whole thing is just ... taxing and I just want things to return to normal, I like normal."

 

Alya laughs, "Aww, you are no fun. Normal is boring." 

 

He rolls his eyes, "I am plenty fun." 

 

"Sure you are ... Sureeee."

 

Nino rolls his eyes, "You have too much excitement, you can have mine."

 

Alya grins, " I am a giving person, I'll give you some excitement."

 

"Your threat on my manhood is not the kind of excitement I want." 

 

Alya giggles, "Girl's gotta do what a girl’s gotta do to get what she needs." 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The weary party finally arrives at a small village. It looks rather unassuming, but quite lovely with different kinds of bright - if not monstrous looking - flowers.

 

"Welcome to my home, The Kwami Village." Tikki then turns to Alya. "We must keep this a secret. If anyone finds out, it could be trouble for us." 

 

Alya visibly deflates, but puts away her notetaking and picture-taking materials. "Fine." Alya mumbles, somewhat annoyed. Still, she understood the need for secrecy. Doesn’t mean she likes it.

 

They get into the village and Tikki is immediately tackled by a blue blur who is wailing, "TIKKI! OH THANK KWAMI YOU ARE SAFE!" It sounds like it is crying hysterically. 

 

Tikki tries to calm the hysterical blue kwamii. "Oh Duusuu... it's ok... I am fine... Everything will be fine soon... I just know it. "

 

Duusuu looks up and sniffles, "Where's Nooroo?" 

 

Tikki looks sad, "He is back in Monstropolis..." Duusuu's eyes water and he looks ready to bawl. Tikki blanches and hurries to calm him. "I don't know how yet... but we'll get him back. We have to! It will be fine! Don't cry! Please?" She hugs the crying peacock-looking being. 

 

"I'm so scared for Nooroo," he bawls.

 

Tikki soothingly rubs Duusuu's back. "I know... we will help him, save him." 

 

Duusuu nods, his big red eyes still swimming with unshed tears. 

 

"I need to find Plagg and Wayzz."

 

Duusuu sniffs, "Wayzz's house... Plagg is not feeling good. He got hurt real bad, but Pollen is okay."

 

Tikki smiles softly “That's good. At least he cares enough to have saved them." 

 

Dusuu messes with his colorful tail feathers. "Plagg has been grumpy and..."

 

"There, there," Tikki interrupts. "Once we are reunited it will help. Take care of my friends okay?"

 

Duusuu then notices the group and freaks out. "EEEP! " He sniffs the air and freezes. "Human... I SMELL A HUMAN! WE ARE GOING TO DIE!" 

 

Tikki groans and grabs Duusuu's cheeks in her stubby little hands. "The humans are not toxic, I promise. Calm down, breathe." 

 

"There are more than one?!" he squeaks. 

 

" There are two. One is very young and hurt."

 

She leads Duusuu to Chat and shows her the tired Manon who is covered in scratches and bruises. "W-what happened to her?!"

 

" ... Somehow... Nooroo got corrupted and..."

 

"Nooroo did this?!" he squeaks "Nooroo is sweet and gentle! He'd never do this!"

 

Tikki looks sad, " I know... but I know his Aura... and it was there. So were his butterflies, but it wasn't a white one... One was grey and the other was this ugly purple and black one. Something is wrong...." 

 

"Wayzz and Master Fu... They could help right?"

 

Tikki nods, "I hope so"

 

Tikki and Dusuu now lead the group to a cozy little home. Tikki slowly starts to look better and better as she gets closer to her husband.

 

They are met at the door by a small hunched monster with wise looking brown eyes. Well, two of them, at least. He had a third eye but it was closed. He hobbled over, his grey and fading coat was still rather nicely trimmed. 

 

"Ah, Tikki... You are back... Plagg was ready to leave even if not fully healed. He is so impatient. I told him you'd be back on your own... Ah, your group is here... Your tea is ready." 

 

He hears a growl from Chat Noir. "Oh yes, Mr. Noir... I know you see me as a threat to the human girls but I assure you my tea is safe for them.” He then turns to the shocked group. "The tea will help the child in her recovery. A corrupted Nooroo is a dangerous Nooroo. The tea is meant to begin clearing out the child's body of the corrupted butterfly’s influence. While I cannot fully remove it, this will help a great deal."

 

"So you know, Master?" Tikki asks as she sits down with Dusuu nibbling some cookies.

 

"I had a vision or two about it, yes. " Master Fu said drinking his tea. "I’ve sense some deeply terrible things happening for a while now from that factory ... I just didn't think they would start kidnapping humans as well."

 

Chat's ears go down in shame and he reverts to his preferred form. "Has... Has this really been going on a long time?"

 

Master Fu looks at Chat Noir sadly. "My visions tell me that for a few months he has been getting rather desperate in trying to save a dying energy source, and he was going through unethical means to do it." 

 

Fu turns to Tikki sadly, "I wish I had my vision in time to save you and Nooroo... Maybe this could have been prevented." 

 

Tikki looks at him in understanding, " You cannot control your visions, Master."

 

"I know, but ...I wish it did not have to happen this way. Still, things happen for a reason and we can focus on what we need to do now. I have had some visions that could help and give hints, but you are in no condition to return at this very moment. Still... You all must return to the factory, there is no other way..." He stares at Tikki and her companions "The end is near and only you all can do it."

 

Manon at this point stretches and groggily wakes up and stretches. She flinches when she sees she is an unfamiliar place and whimpers. Marinette is the first to her side to soothe her.

 

"Hey. Hey, Manon you are okay, I promise." She gently pushes the warm tea into Manon's hands, "Drink. He says it will help you get better." 

 

Manon eyes the tea warily and Master Fu chuckles "Drink child, it is very sweet. Just like you like it. It will make you feel better."

 

Manon looks questioningly at the tea and then Marinette, as if to ask permission. "C'mon drink. It will help you." She thinks to herself, adding, "I hope." 

 

Manon gingerly holds the warm cup in her hands and takes a small sip. Her face then lights up, "Mmm! It is yummy!" she then proceeds to finish it up very quickly.

 

She feels a warming and soothing sensation in her body as she drinks the tea. Master Fu chuckles as he turns to the others. "Go speak to Wayzz and Plagg. Plagg needs to see you again. Wayzz can only do so much for him. I will heal the child. Wayzz is rather wiped out.... "

 

A hissing sound is heard and everyone except Master Fu flinches at the sound. He is seemingly unphased by how possessive Chat Noir is currently being. Nino only wished he himself could feel so secure in front of an agitated werecat. 

 

Master Fu simply sips his tea and then addresses Chat Noir. "I know you wish to stay, so you may; though no more harm will come to her here. I am very aware of the nontoxicity of humans. I've known for many years." 

 

When Chat does not seem to agree with him. Fu simply sighs, "I thought you'd react that way. I am sure the young lady can fill you in, as you will probably stay.”

 

"Damn right, I will stay." he growls as he goes to guard over Manon while Fu prepares to begin the healing process. 

 

"Chat Noir...." Marinette starts. "Don't be rash." 

 

He grumbles as he carefully watches over the healing process. 

 

It is long and not fun for the child, and she ends up huddling around Chat in his beast form to distract form the discomfort.

 

It is going to be a long day.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Duusu is still rather conscious of Marinette, but leads her and the others to Wayzz and Plagg. Tikki has already run ahead with something under her arm. 

 

Just before they open the door a bright light is seen in the room and a warm magic passes through everyone nearby.

 

Duusuu chirps happily and begins to cry tears of joy. "Aww they are back together. I am so happy for them! They will both be better!" He wails cheerfully.

 

The waterworks have returned in full force, gushing like a water fountain.

 

They enter the room and see the Kwami, Tikki, cuddling a grumpy black cat looking Kwami. She already looks happier and healthier. 

 

"Meet my husband, Plagg! The yin to my yang. Rescuer of our other dear friends!" Tikki announces. 

 

Plagg grumbles something in embarrassment, "Yeah yeah. They'd be doomed without me. Give me cheese."

 

Tikki giggles as she hands him his cheese while Duusuu continues to cry tears of happiness.

 

Plagg deadpans, "So loud... I almost regret saving you, Dusuu." 

 

The little blue kwamii wails, "Tikki! Plagg is being so mean to me!" 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Manon sits in front of Alya, utterly mesmerized by her stories of Unicorn Princesses and an evil wizard who wished to turn the world in ice. Alya had used her magic to make herself look like a fabulous unicorn princess and create a self contained world just for Manon to experience the story in the most visible detail. 

 

All of this endeared the child to the young witch. It also helped calm her down.

 

Manon has been very anxious and scared. According to Master Fu it disrupted his healing powers so Alya took it upon herself to entertain her. She has twin sisters, so she knows how to deal with kids. 

 

Manon is no different from her little sisters in some ways. 

 

It was strange and not strange to her all, at the same time. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marinette spies a miserable looking Chat Noir sitting on the porch of Master Fu's house. His ears are flat against his head.

 

"Hey..." She starts, as Chat ignores her. She huffs at his ignoring her.

 

"Look at me."

 

He refuses to and she has a look of annoyance. She then grabs his face and makes him look at her. 

 

"You. Are. Not. To. Blame." She says to him in a tone that left him with no room to argue. She emphasized each word, so he made sure to pay attention. 

 

"The father's mistakes are not the son's as well. You didn't know."

 

"I should have known he was hiding something..."

 

She gives him a good glare, "If your relationship with him was as good as it was in our childhood. Yeah, I don't imagine he tells you a lot. Would you advertise to the world you have an evil lair and prison under the factory? I doubt anyone knew. I highly doubt your coworkers were in a break room somewhere talking about a secret dungeon under the factory over morning coffee.”

 

Chat Noir looks very guilty and Marinette regrets her words.

 

"Not quite that.... but ..." He sighs and his tail nervously wraps around her ankle. He shrinks himself into a ball "There have been rumors of weird stuff happening in the factory. Supernaturals coming into the factory and never coming out... Others claim they saw people who clearly don't work for us in the factory in places even we are forbidden to go. I...ignored it, thinking it was silly. Everyone knows of my father's.... elitist ways."

 

Marinette rolls her eyes, "Where I am from, that is called racist. He thinks he is better cause he is a monster?"

 

"Yeah..."

 

"Well, he sucks for that." she said with conviction in her voice. "He is doing bad stuff because he is bad. He has only done one good thing in his sad miserable life."

 

"What is that?"

 

She smiles and pets him lovingly on the head, "He didn't corrupt you to be like him. You want to fix this mess and not side with him. This isn't your fault but we are gonna fix it somehow..." 

 

He purrs under her touch and becomes mush beneath her fingertips. He literally falls into her lap as she continues petting and whispering reassurances to him. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Manon helps lead Alya around and finds her target. 

 

"I knew it!" Manon said in childish glee.

 

Alya hovers over Manon and grins, "Yup. You are right, they totally like each other. 

 

Manon grins proudly, “Good! You see it! Marinette doesn't!"

 

"Oh?" Alya said with an amused tone. 

 

Manon grins. "Marinette is the best but she is blind," she whines. "She doesn't see she is a Disney Princess and she loves Chat Noir. He even calls her Princess!~"

 

"Now does he now?" Alya grins widely, this could be a fun little bit of news she could play with.

 

Manon nods wildly. "Yup ! Yup! Yup! He calls her princess all the time and they get all red all the time! She scratches his ears and he purrs and he likes to put his head in her lap. They totally have a lot of lovey-dovey moments and they think I don't see it! But I do! I seen all the princess movies! I know what love is!" she said with utter conviction. Disney movies have yet to fail her. 

 

Alya grins at Manon's childish enthusiasm. "Well then, we must help them out right?"

 

Manon smiles widely. “Yeah! I'll help~ I'll help~"

 

Alya winks. "Of course! I need all your help!" she said poking Manon's nose as she giggles. "You are already a great help so far. You are like my little spy! Telling me all the information I need to help push em together."

 

Manon grins, "Ooh! A spy sounds fun!" 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

When Chat leaves to go to bed, Alya slides in. She is grinning ear to ear like a fox who cornered a mouse and announces that she will now be Mari’s wingwoman.

 

"I… I don’t... I-don’t like him THAT way. He’s just a friend.”

 

Alya raises her eyebrow. "Wow... you guys are such goooodddd friends." She smirks and pretends to get all in Marinette's space like what she witnessed Marinette and Chat do. "Perfectly normal friend behavior. Maybe for humans but for us... not so much." She then smirks evilly, "Could have fooled Manon and I.”

 

“N-n-no! Not you too! We are JUST friends! Best friends.” She mumbles under her breath. 

 

Alya dramatically flops onto Marinette's lap and puts her hand to her forehead like some sort of swooning woman. "Why must you deny your feelings so~"

 

"There is absolutely nothing to deny!" Marinette huffs trying to push Alya off her, her face bright red.

 

She just winks, "Hey I'd make you a love potion, but I don't think you need one.” She then cackles at how Marinette's face flushes to an unnatural shade of red.

 

"A-ALYA!!!!"

 

Alya laughs at Marinette's' expense and Manon giggles a bit. Marinette frowns at the child with a "you betrayed me" look.

 

Manon just childishly sticks her tongue out. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Plagg looks good now. As much as he pisses everyone in the village off sometimes, no one really wanted to see him hurt as badly as that day of the raid near Harryhausen's. 

 

Even the best care Wayzz and Fu could give wasn't enough without Tikki. Now that she is back he’s back to his old sarcastic ways. 

 

He turns on the TV with Tikki cuddling him, when he sees a picture of Chat in his beast form carrying an obscure Manon on screen. It seems to be taken by an amateur and is a bit blurry. With them are Nino flying behind them, Alya, and what he assumed was Tikki and the "Princess" girl bonded together. 

 

The reporter is a bright yellow monster with green eyes and a short stubby body.

 

"If witnesses are to be believed, there is a human child security breach for the first time in monster history. The child has been linked to an attack on the Agreste Scare floor CEO, Hawkmoth. According to witnesses, the Human Child attacked him with the aid of Hawkmoth’s own son Chat Noir, his demon assistant Nino Lahiffe, and an unknown witchling. There is also an unknown Ladybug looking monster. If you see any of these characters, please call the Child Detection Agency. Remember! Humans are toxic to your health! They are not to be touched by civilians. Do not attempt to capture them on your own. In other news..." 

 

The reporter drones on about the latest celebrity gossip as Plagg laughs. "Couldn't be sneaky as usual Tikki?" 

 

"Oh be quiet, Plagg."

 

"This is so good. I am so proud. My little sweet bug causing mischief."

 

"It makes our job to sneak back in to drop the humans off much harder." 

 

"So? As long as we don't draw too much attention, we will be good." 

 

"We? " Tikki asks confused.

 

"I know you Tik. You will want to go with them and try and help and protect. It is your nature and I won't let you go alone. We work best together. I lost you once... I do not plan to do it again."

 

Tikki huffs, her stubby little hands crossed, "Fine... still, we need a plan on how to get back there..."

 

"Awww where is the fun in that? Let's just wing it."

 

"Absolutely not. It isn't safe to, and you know it." 

 

Plagg just rolls his eyes and eats his beloved cheese. "Alright, alright. We better tell those kids though. Unless you want to surprise them." He said with a playful smirk. "It’d be quite funny."

 

"Of course you would find it funny, Plagg." 

 

"Always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those wondering where Plagg was, he was in the village the whole time! LOL 
> 
> Special thanks to my awesome Beta Rosalind2013
> 
> Also I do have a masterlist for all my fanfiction doodles on my tumblr ! http://sakuramarie.tumblr.com/post/173385554861/master-list-of-sketches-for-my-fanfictions


	8. The Journey Back

Nino had enough.

 

He just wanted to go home and get this over with. They had been here longer than intended because Manon's “extreme changes in aura,” as Master Fu called it, were disrupting the healing process. Chat Noir was entirely to blame for these rapid changes in the attitude of the child.

 

He understood Chat's protectiveness, he really did. It was part of Were nature to be protective of packmates, especially young ones, but now he was impeding her recovery. So Nino decided to use his demon strength to his advantage for once. He grabbed the werecat by his arm and dragged him away. 

 

"Dude, what is your freaking problem?" he said using his "demon" voice. 

 

It sounded horrifying and powerful. It made Nino sound truly evil, and it worked to make Chat Noir stop acting aggressive for a few seconds. It was a voice that he rarely used because he didn't even like how it sounded on himself, but he had to admit it was effective for situations like this. Before Chat could respond, Nino returned to his calm voice but kept an iron grip on Chat's shoulders.

 

"You. Need. To. Chill. Out. Now." he said, emphasizing each word, using his demon voice at the word “now”.

 

"You are helping absolutely no one when you get in the way being all protective, cuz no one is going to hurt Manon at this point. You being overprotective put Manon in a state of incurability, cause if you’re stressed then she is stressed. Master Fu cannot do his job and help her if she is stressed out too much."

 

Nino's eyes went soft, "She is in good hands. You need to trust him."

 

Chat looked guilty, "I can't."

 

"Why?"

 

"I don’t know...."

 

 

Nino looked thoughtful, "Do you trust me?"

 

 

"Of course I do."

 

"Do you trust me in your place?" He asked, his tone implacable.

 

Chat froze, knowing what Nino was implying.

"I...I..."

 

"You know I would protect her just as well as you. I would never betray you... You do know that, right?"

 

"I do."

 

Nino was getting through; he could feel it.

 

"Dude... if anyone messes with Manon under my watch there will be hell to pay. Satan owes me a favor anyway."

 

Chat Noir laughed, "Oh, what for?”

 

"I'll tell you later."

 

Nino felt Chat’s shoulders become less tense beneath his hands.

 

"I...trust you, Nino." 

 

Nino calmed and gave Chat Noir a smile. "Go rest, dude. I'll send Marinette to you when we need you again. It will be like you are watching her. I swear."

 

"I...believe you."

 

"Good."

 

Nino watched Chat disappear down the hall and took a deep breath before walking back to the healing room.

 

Alya gave a slow clap to him when he reemerged alone, "And here I thought we would have to knock him out to get him out of here.”

 

Nino sighed. "It wasn't easy but I managed to persuade him in the end. "

 

"Not even I could do that.” Marinette replied. "I had already tried to convince him that she would be fine, but he just refused to listen to me for some reason."

 

Nino's shook his head. "It's not your fault. Weres can be a bit tricky if you don't know how to handle their tendencies like I can. I’ve had experience with Weres, specifically Chat, for many years so I know how he is after working with him for so long. " 

 

 

Master Fu resumed healing Manon as Nino kept an eye on them. Unlike Chat Noir, his gaze was very trusting but also a bit analyzing just in case. There was no pressure, no stress, just chill atmosphere. 

 

"You know it's kind of funny," Marinette started. "It is kind of like we know two different Chat Noirs."

 

 

Nino nodded. "Yeah I get what you mean. It's kind of strange. Like he has almost two different personalities; he has one when he’s with you and the mini here, and then one that’s more like a public face that uses for his family's company when the cameras are around. I mean he was so serious and more like a lone wolf if you get my drift. I almost thought he couldn't even smile for a while, like he was turning into the less severe version of his dad."

 

Marinette made a disgusted face and Nino laughed, "My thoughts exactly."

 

With Chat Noir gone, Master Fu made short work of healing Manon and to a lesser extent, Marinette, who had confidently hidden her minor injuries. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Soon, it was time to return to the factory.

 

Manon visibly became pale at the mention of it, but did her best to be brave about it. 

 

They left the village of the Kwami with only Tikki and Plagg, and headed back to Mostropolis after bidding everyone goodbye.

 

About five minutes into their journey, something red crashed into them. The red orangish blob laughed and tackled the nearest body, which happened to be Alya.

 

"I decided to join you guys. You NEED me and my powers," they drawled to everyone. 

 

Plagg rolled his eyes at Trixx, "I am soooo excited."

 

Tikki smiled sweetly. "I would appreciate your help, your illusions will come in handy." 

 

Trixx grinned and stuck their tongue out at Plagg, "At least someone appreciates me, Plagg." 

 

As they continued on their journey, a plan was hatched. A plan mostly formed by Marinette, which made Chat puff up with pride. 

 

They couldn’t simply waltz into Monstropolis and expect nothing to happen. Everyone was wanted and the CDA was probably going to be everywhere. Security was going to be tight, near impossible in their current state. So they decided to go in disguise. 

 

It turned out that Trixx and Alya were rather compatible together, and like Tikki and Marinette, they combined. Not only did it disguise Alya, their powers combined were strong enough to disguise everyone Tikki could not. 

 

They slipped into the city with no monster being any the wiser. They walked to the factory and stared up at it with serious expressions. 

 

There was a feeling of foreboding. Something told them it would not be easy.


	9. Chapter 9

It was around six in the evening when the party tried to infiltrate Agreste industries with stealth and efficiency.

 

They really did try, as Marinette was starting to panic at how long she and Manon had been gone. Still, none of this helped since anxiety did not improve one's ability to be stealthy.

 

Despite the fact that it was after hours at the factory, the building was way too full for a Saturday evening and no one was prepared for it. 

 

Manon was held in Marinette’s extremely tight grasp, and they were both disguised as monsters. Manon looked like a small purple monster that was rather slimy looking with two spindly eyes, and Marinette as a pink monster who looked similar enough to Manon as if they were sisters.

 

Nino tried to walk as casually as he could while disguised as a rather round and small green monster with one large eye and two small horns.

 

Alya was taking in the sights of the off limits factory, committing everything to memory for her article. Her disguise was a one eyed monster with snakes as hair and multiple tentacles to propel herself through the factory. 

 

Chat Noir was the tallest monster of the disguised group and was a giant blue furry monster that Manon referred to as a walking carpet. 

 

They almost got caught multiple times but managed to hide in time.

 

Despite the late hour at the Agreste Factory, there were still a lot of monsters loitering around; more than usual, and this worried Chat and Nino. 

 

Still, they decided to chance it and try to sneak back onto the scare floor to get the girls back home. 

 

They did not fare too well. They came close to getting caught one too many times before they finally decided to hide in the boy's apartment for a few hours. 

 

The apartment was clearly well lived in, and it was rather obvious which side belonged to who.

 

Manon was the most interested in the apartment. Her natural curiosity and her more mischievous personality traits began to show through. The group left her to her own devices as they went into the kitchen to make a plan of attack for sneaking into the factory.

 

They would quickly regret leaving Manon alone, as the lights began to flicker on and off

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Hawkmoth paced back and forth in his well polished office. He was absolutely livid. His top secret, if not illegal, operations and experiments were in danger of being exposed. His carefully constructed plans were going to be uncovered if he didn't do something soon.

 

Nathalie and Copycat watched him pace with two very different mindsets. Nathalie's face gave away no emotions as she watched him pace. She looked at Copycat's expression and saw a rather calculating looks. 

 

Nathalie never trusted Copycat. Still, he was useful for her purposes and she could only hope he got caught in the crossfire of all that would go down. 

 

"Nathalie... is the .... evidence gone? "

 

"Yes Sir, it has been disposed of," She said in a professional tone, hiding a malicious grin. "Everything is gone from the building, no monster will be able to connect you to anything."

 

Copycat gave her a suspicious look, but said nothing. He then turned to Hawkmoth.

 

“It's been a few days... surely they have all returned. I doubt the little human could stay hidden for long. Why don't we push them into the open? I’ve got a plan, leave it to me. I have some... connections in the CDA and the police. I can drop a few hints to bring them out."

 

Hawkmoth nodded as Copycat melted into the shadows. Nathalie left shortly after. Things would end soon; she was sure of it.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The group tried to be covert once again, but it was near impossible. While they bided their time with the factory in direct view from Nino and Chat's apartment, they waited. After a while, Manon got insanely bored and started acting more like herself back home. Pots and pans were banged and she was running around the place. Everyone but Chat and Plagg tried to restrain the bored child to no avail.

 

Plagg thought the child was hilarious while Chat rolled on the floor, the loud noises hurting his sensitive ears.

 

Oddly enough the lights were growing brighter and brighter with every laugh and happy squeal Manon emitted. Unknown to them, other tenants’ lights were getting more powerful and brighter. This was not a normal occurrence and unfortunately for them, it brought attention to them. 

 

Suddenly, an alarm sounded and the whir of helicopters filled the air.

 

"Crap crap crappp!" Alya chanted while Nino ran to pull down the blinds. 

 

The floodlight flashed directly into their apartment.

 

Manon stopped and started to scream in fear, and the lights looked ready to explode.

 

"Put a sock in it!' Plagg yelled. “They’re gonna find us, and then we’ll all be screwed!" 

 

Plagg's yelling didn't help and made Manon panic more.

 

Panic filled the room as everyone tried to make her stop screaming. Then Marinette tripped into Chat, who tripped into Alya, who tripped into Nino, who went flying face first into a worn black chair, some of the stuffing spilling out. Manon watched the show and started laughing uncontrollably, louder than ever before. Suddenly they heard a loud pop and the whole apartment complex's power when out. 

 

The group stood in the dark as roars and voices from other tenants filled the area. 

 

" What was that?" Tikki muttered as she flew to a now spooked Manon.

 

"No idea, but it'd be really great if she didn't do it again,” Plagg muttered.

 

Alya had a thoughtful look on her face. "I wonder...."

 

The others look at her curiously and she shakes her head. "Don't worry about it. But we should try again... in a few hours it will be midnight, and I think the police might try to nosy on in here soon. So lets slip out while they are distracted.... Human smell is a bit tricky to mask.”

 

Marinette and Manon make faces; clearly their pride had been insulted. 

 

Still they got onto a now transformed Chat Noir's back, and they snuck back to the factory, blending into the crowd of angry tenants demanding for their power to be restored. The group rushed even more when they heard an authoritative voice asking what happened. 

 

Nino and Chat Noir led the way toward the Scare Floor. The path was engraved in their head; they didn't even need to look at signs. 

 

Luckily for them, because of the late hour there was no one there and the disguises were not needed anymore, Much to Trixx's and Alya's relief. 

 

It was smooth sailing for them until they finally arrived at the scare floor's door. It was locked. 

 

"Why is it locked? It's never been locked before...." Nino said in a worried tone.

 

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Chat said.

 

Nino looked pensive but Plagg only grinned. "Hey Kid, if we combine like the human and Tikki did we can make short work of that door. One little Cataclysm and bye-bye door!" 

 

Tikki looked scandalized. "No! We need to save your Cataclysm! Besides, it could be a trap!"

 

"Way to ruin my fun, Sugercube." 

 

"Let's just go to Roz's office, I am sure she has some keys to various places. I’d rather not chance Nathalie's office." Nino said, shaking his head. "I still owe that slug paperwork. However, Nathalie is way scarier.”

 

They quickly found Roz's office, but of course could not get in. They decided to head toward Nathalie's office, but since they usually don't go into that area, they got lost and ended up in a room that was dark with a large butterfly window.

 

"Took you long enough, my son." 

 

The lights turn on dimly to reveal Hawkmoth and Copycat

 

"Now, be a good son and hand over the humans." 

 

Chat Noir growled and stepped in front of Marinette and Manon. 

 

"Why? Why are you kidnapping Humans and other Supernatural beings?" 

 

“Why? Why, for us Son! For our world. Times have changed. Kids aren't scared like they used to be. We are having a power crisis. Drastic situations call for drastic measures." He said.

 

"This is wrong! You can't go through with this!" Alya yells.

 

"The end justifies the means! You’ve all seen too much. Copycat! Get rid of them," Hawkmoth said coldly.

 

"You’d get rid of your own son? Dude... err Sir. You are messed up!" Nino said as he went to engage Copycat. 

 

Chat Noir turned to Marinette. "This is a trap! Go with Plagg and see if you can destroy the door with the power he was talking about. Find a Scare Station and there should be a book with codes to bring out closet doors from Paris. Just use any door and escape somehow.

 

 

Marinette tried to argue, but Chat gave her a harsh look that she had never seen before. She nodded and took Manon with her as the fight raged on behind her. 

 

Marinette ended up escaping with Plagg and Manon. She took a ring Plagg offered her and temporarily transformed into a more catlike appearance. She found the scare floor door and used a move Plagg called Cataclysm to destroy the door. After she called off the transformation, she looked around for a terminal to call down Manon's door. She found something that looked like what she saw when she first came to the factory. 

 

She turned it on and a light above the frame came on.

 

"Come on ... come on..." she muttered as she flipped through a book of codes at a workstation. She flipped to the European section and looked for Paris, France's code. 

 

Manon looked around for danger and then saw Hawkmoth creep up behind her. She let out a yelp and tried to alert Marinette, but it was too late. Hawkmoth sent an Akuma at her that lands on her ladybug hair clip. 

 

Marinette immediately stopped as a purple butterfly appeared over her face.

 

"Safe Haven~ You tried so hard to keep your charge safe. But you failed her, and look at how she's suffered." Hawkmoth's smooth and eerily comforting voice whispered in her mind. 

 

Chat Noir broke from the fight when he realized his father was missing. 

 

"CRAP CRAP!" He yelped as ran in the direction the girls went.

 

Alya struggled against Copycat. "Where are you going?!" she demanded.

 

"The Scare floor! I have a bad feeling!" 

 

"Give me a break... " She muttered as she blocked Copycat's attack. 

 

"GO AWAY!" said a small scream that Chat Noir instantly recognized as Manon's.

He nearly burst through the door of the scare floor. He heard a loud smack and then he was face to face with a zombie-like Marinette. Manon was on the floor, rubbing a red cheek with tears in her eyes. 

 

Chat grabs Marinette's lifeless shoulders and began to shake her, "Don't listen to him Marinette! This is his fault! Not yours." 

 

"His... fault....?"

 

"No! I had nothing to do with it, just listen to me and the sound of my voice." Hawkmoth purred.

 

 

Alya and Nino had managed to escape the dungeon and reunite with Chat and the others. As Chat tried to save Marinette, they rushed to tackle Hawkmoth in an attempt to get him to stop, but Copycat attacked without mercy while Hawkmoth continued to telepathically speak to Marinette.

 

"I did.... fail.... I ... left her alone.... I.... let her ...get kidnapped...." Marinette whispered, the Butterfly mask covering her eyes. As Chat tried to reason and talk to Marinette, Manon tried to remove the clip where the akuma landed, but when she touched it a surge of power pushed Manon back and she let out a yelp. 

 

Her yelp catches Marinette’s attention, and Hawkmoth swoops in to finish his speech. "See, she got hurt again. I will give you the power to protect everyone..."

 

"....Alright...."

 

Chat and Manon looked on in horror as Marinette morphed. There was no way they could stop it now. A black and purple bubble-like mass began to cover Marinette, and Manon whimpered as she stayed close to Chat Noir. 

 

In Marinette's place was a red and black monster that looked very much like a humanoid insect with large compound eyes that were void of any emotion. She towered over all who were present. She was covered in chains and padlocks with a key as her necklace. 

 

"I am Safe Haven and I will keep everyone safe! NO ONE WILL BE TAKEN FROM ME AGAIN!" She roared.

 

"Well.... this is bad" Plagg said dryly as Manon began to cry. 

 

Chat glared at Plagg. " Not helping!" He narrowly avoided Nino being thrown at him. Nino looked up and sees the akumatized Safe Haven and lets out a curse.

 

"Here I thought the plan was fool proof." Nino said.

 

Alya temporarily bound Copycat with a spell and looked up at the others. "Okay, now what?"

 

Tikki looked solemnly at them. "We need to beat Safe Haven and then Hawkmoth. I think he needs a champion to fight... Nooroo isn't strong on his own. If we break the object, I can purify it."

 

"We are NOT hurting Marinette!" Chat yells, obviously in distress. 

 

"Dude, she isn't Marinette anym- LOOK OUT !" he tackled Chat down and narrowly missed Safe Haven's chain.

 

"STOP MOVING! I NEED TO PROTECT YOU!" She screamed. She launched her chains again and tried to capture them in a chained box that she deemed as protective, she narrowly missed the group. 

 

"She's fast," Alya huffed as the others nodded.

 

Safe Haven then spots an almost free Copycat and glared.

 

"YOU!” She roared as she threw more chains. "You took her! YOU TOOK HER FIRST!" He yelped as he was bound. He was chained to a wall like some weird hunting trophy.

 

Hawkmoth growled, "No no no! Don't attack Copycat!" 

 

She then turned to face Hawkmoth, and he grew cold. She had a cold and calculating look in her eyes and she looked furious to boot. She growled at him and he stepped back.

 

" What are you doing?" he demanded. He stood tall, but he clearly looked a bit intimidated.

 

"You are the source of it all...." 

 

"Pardon?" 

 

She grabbed a padlocked chain and began swinging it like a yoyo. "I am going to lock you up and throw away the key,” she said.

 

"I want to cheer her on, but I know this is wrong." Nino mumbled

 

Manon hid behind Nino's large demonic wings and peeked out.

 

"I don't like that man at all." Manon whispered, “It didn't feel good at all with that scary black butterfly.”

 

Alya picked up Manon. "I'll get this little monkey away and come back... "

 

Safe Haven used the padlock and it caught Hawkmoth by the wrist. She slammed him down to the ground, dazing him. She then threw him onto a ceiling pipe and he was wrapped up with no way to escape. She made sure he was extra uncomfortable. 

 

She then turned to her friends.

 

"Now then... on to keep you guys safe. Don't worry, I will keep all of you safe! She then begins to throw chains and locks at them, trying to entrap them into their safe little cocoons.”

 

Her first capture was Alya, who was trying to escape with Manon. Manon screamed as chains and locks surrounded them. Unlike Copycat and Hawkmoth, they were in a box and had plenty of room to move around. It looked like a mini prison cell.

 

"I can work with this... Hey Trixx, I need help. Can you make an illusion of me and Manon being good while I escape. I'd rather not have Safe Haven here see me and get mad.” Alya said.

 

Trixx nodded and did as she wanted, laughing the whole time. 

 

As Nino tried to battle Safe Haven and Chat Noir tried to protect and talk her out of her possession, Alya blasted a hole in the roof of their cell and used her magic to float out.

 

"Manon, I need you to stay here. Despite everything, it is actually very safe in here. "

 

Manon nodded, "Okay..."

 

Trixx flew into the cell and turned into Alya. "Don't worry, lil Kit! I will keep ya company!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After about an hour and a mostly destroyed underground dungeon, Safe Haven clearly had an upper hand and had trapped everyone in their own connected prison. 

 

Marinette, don't hurt us anymore please," Manon whimpered.

 

"I am NOT MARINETTE! I am SAFE HAVEN! I do not hurt you! I PROTECT you!" 

 

Manon in the cage whimpered again, "You’re so scary now."

 

Safe Haven stopped and looked at the child in the safety cage. 

 

"...Scary...?" Safe Haven whispers and Manon nods.

 

Hawkmoth was struggling to escape his binds "RELEASE ME, SAFE HAVEN!"

 

Safe Haven glared at the bound Hawkmoth.

 

"NEVER! YOU’RE EVIL!" Safe Haven growled.

 

Plagg flew up and looked Hawkmoth in the eyes.

 

"Frankly, I hope you are trapped here for all of eternity considering what you’ve done to Tikki and Nooroo and all of us. She has let you off easy so far. So I highly suggest you shut your mouth and release Nooroo right now." He hissed. 

 

"I will not listen you!" 

 

Plagg slapped Hawkmoth with his little hand and glared. "You'll get what's coming to you.”

 

Safe Haven got to Manon's level in her prison and Chat stayed close. He remembered what happened with Puppeteer and he looked for something off about Safe Haven that could have the evil butterfly inside it.

 

As Manon tried to talk to Safe Haven, Chat Noir spotted something glittering near one of the chain linked antennae. Hidden among the chain and locks, he saw a silver ladybug clip, like the one he gave her years ago. It stood out against the padlocks and chains in a subtle way. He grinned as he got his claws ready.

 

Chat used his claws to shred the hair clip, and the butterfly shaped Akuma flies out. Tikki shrieked as she flew to the akuma and punched it down, stunning it. 

 

"Didn't see that coming," Nino said.

Alya tried to hold her laughing. Tikki then grabbed the Akuma and put it her mouth. She made a disgusted face, and a few seconds later she opened her mouth and released a white butterfly.

 

"It is as gross as it looks," she told the others.

 

Safe Haven's form was covered with a dark purple goo and melted away to reveal a confused Marinette.

 

"What... happ-" she began. Before she could finish, she was tackled in a hug. Manon was near hysterical.

 

"You're back!” she wailed.

 

"Where... did I go?" 

 

Suddenly, the doors flew open with a violent slam and agents in yellow hazmat suits flooded in. Chat Noir growled and cocooned Marinette and Manon in his arms.

 

Nino stood there paralyzed, muttering "Oh hell no... The CDA."

 

The Kwami hid in Alya's bag, using the vials and potions in them to disguise themselves while Alya herself sidled her way behind Nino.

 

Some of the CDA surrounded the small group and the rest either the pale disoriented Copycat or the angry Hawkmoth. 

 

"Take your hands off me! You can't arrest me!" Hakmoth yelled as he and Copycat were taken away. They passed the group and Hawkmoth glared at his son.

 

“I hope you're happy. You destroyed this company! Agreste Factory is dead! Where will everyone get their screams now?" he snarled.

 

Chat's ears were pinned to his head as his father kept screaming at him. "The energy crisis will get worse and it is ALL because of YOU!" 

 

Chat slouched over. Was he really to blame for all of this? He held the girls close, as they were the ones he had in his arms at that moment. Still Nino came and rested a hand on his shoulder. Chat looked up at his best friend since childhood. 

 

Nino understood him in a way Marinette or Manon could not. Nino knew that Hawkmoth's approval was all Chat had ever wanted, and that at this point he would never get it. 

 

Alya looked around, trying to find a way to escape, but before she could sneak off, a CDA member stopped her.

 

“Number one wants to see you... all of you." He said.

 

"...Well shit," Alya said as she kept her bag of tricks closer to her. 

 

A figure in a yellow hazmat suit with a number one written on it came to them and removed its helmet.

 

"NATHALIE?!" Nino and Chat yelped when they recognized the figure.

 

Chat Noir looked between Nathalie and Nino. "I swear, if you have some revelation to tell me, I think I will go insane cause my whole life is being revealed to be a lie."

 

"Dude, I am the most normal bro you are ever gonna get. I am the same as I have been since Day One.”

 

"Good." Chat Noir said.

 

Nathalie coughed to get their attention. "If you are quite done."

 

She sighed and handed the helmet to a subordinate. "Three years undercover were almost wasted when you disappeared with these humans and were caught by the news. I still managed to make it work. We, The CDA, have suspected unethical practices here at the factory. You proved yourself innocent when trying to keep them safe and return them home," she explained, nodding at Chat Noir.

 

Nathalie hated this part of her job, but she had no choice. She pulled out a walkie talkie. "Bring me a door shredder," she said.

 

Chat's eyes grew wide and he grabbed the girls, growling at Nathalie like he was going to go rabid.

 

"Chat Noir, please. We have no choice," she said.

 

The growling intensified to a terrifying degree and even some of the CDA members backed off. 

 

Nino recognized the signs and blocked Adrien and everyone else from the CDA’s view with his massive wings.

“Yo, you guys are stressing out my bro. Give me a bit and I will calm him down.” He said, mostly to Nathalie who took the hint and ushered the other Agents out.

 

“I'll check on you in five minutes.” She said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter and I will be all done! 
> 
> It will be coming out on October 31st... Halloween~~~


	10. Dawn of a New Day

Nino was nervous. And he had every right to be.

Chat's possessive nature was coming out again and deep down, he suspected they both knew what was going to happen.

"Dude..."

"Not again! Not again," he mumbled as he buried his face between Marinette and Manon.

Alya was confused, "What do you mean... not again?"

"They..."

Nino sighed and turned to Alya. "You see, once a kid is no longer scared, we have to shred their door."

Alya looked thoughtful. "I get it now. Well that sucks! I bet they can make an exception just this once!"

Nino looked at Alya with a raised brow. "Nathalie? Break the rules? What's next, we all become human? You're out of your mind."

Alya glared and pushed Nino's hat down to cover his eyes. "No need to be a smart ass. We can figure something out, I am sure!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After about six minutes, Nathalie returned. Chat Noir could hear the squealing tires of the door shredder just outside the door. He tried to ignore the noise as he focused on Marinette and Manon and their interactions with everyone as they left.

Everyone was in front of the door as they said their goodbyes.

The Kwamis were the first to say goodbye. Tikki was the most affectionate, as she had the most interaction with the humans. She gave them cheek nuzzles and sweetly told them goodbye. Marinette had half a mind to keep Tikki. Plagg and Trixx said goodbye to them in their own unique, if not distant, ways.

Alya gave Marinette a big hug. "Hey, if you're ever here again, come find me. I'd like to hang out with you again. I am glad you were the first human I ever met."

Alya then picked up Manon and gave her a hug, "See ya later, fellow Unicorn Princess. May our reigns prosper!"

Manon giggled and cheered, "Yeah! Bye Bye!"

Nino gave Marinette a side hug, "Take care of yourself, dudette. I'll do my best to take care of Chat. He is the best bro who deserves the best."

As the girls were led away, Nino gave Manon a noogie. "See ya, little dudette."

Manon laughed and waved. "Bye Bye, Dude~"

Chat Noir led the girls back into Manon's familiar room, and Manon flopped onto the bed exhausted. She and Marinette looked like a filthy and exhausted mess. Chat Noir smiled sadly as Manon's breathing slowed.

Marinette looked sadly at Chat. "Is this goodbye again?"

Chat Noir's ears go flat to his head. He didn't need to answer, she already knew.

"We will see each other again...somehow. It happened once already, right?" Marinette said, hope evident in her tone.

"I hope so."

Marinette put on a confident face. "Hey, you will be the big boss... so maybe you can make something work! Who knows what could happen?"

Before Chat could say anything, Manon's floor boards squeaked. It sounded deafening in the quiet room.

"I need to go. How will you explain this to your family? You were gone for a while."

"I'll think of something."

Chat went over to Manon and gave her a hug. "Bye Bye, Kitty~ See ya... next time," Manon yawned.

Chat looked sad. "Yeah... I hope to see you again someday."

One of Manon's eyes opened tiredly, "Whatcha mean?"

"I..."

"Who's THERE?!" said an unfamiliar voice to Chat but familiar to the girls.

Chat jumped and quickly headed to the door. Marinette on the other hand, opened a window to pretend that someone got away, a story already forming in her head.

"Good Bye, Chat Noir." Marinette whispered as Chat Noir fled through his door.

"Bye Marinette... Bye Manon."

The door closed and Manon's main door opened to reveal a clearly sleep deprived Nadja.

"Mama!" Manon wails as she hugs her mom crying.

Nadja is stunned to see Marinette standing by the window, looking as if she were looking for someone who fled out the window.

"They...brought us back," she whispered as Nadja engulfed her in a hug, tears flowing down her face.

"Tell me what happened! Who are "they"? Oh gosh, are you hurt?!"

Marinette glanced sadly at the closet door, "I'll tell you downstairs."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chat watched as Manon's door was shredded noisily. Bits of wood went flying all over the place, and he felt like a child again in the worst possible way. It was Marinette's door crushing all over again.

He had to keep it together, even if inside he was dying.

Nathalie said nothing as the door was crushed. She didn't spare even a glance. Even if her job was done and her job was to clean up the Scare factory, she had, unfortunately grown somewhat fond of the young Were. She also hated the fact she had to take almost everything from him. A childhood friend, his father, and who knows what else.

Still, she was determined to see her job to the end, no matter the cost.

She turned to the rest and noticed Nino sneaking some of the shredded door pieces. Even if the demon was technically breaking the rules, she would turn a blind eye, just this once. She pretended not notice when he awkwardly hid the pieces behind his back.

"I need to fill out some paperwork. I will return shortly. Stay here. I will also release the other employees. The factory will be closed for a bit until we get everything in order."

Chat and Nino nodded silently as Nathalie walked away.

Alya would be damned if she let that door remained crushed. While Nino comforted a grieving Chat Noir, she snuck away and followed the monsters that had the bin with the pieces of Manon's door. She hid when they headed to wherever they needed to go, and Alya stealthily peered into the trash. She sighed in relief. It wasn't as bad as she thought, there only seemed to be some easily shifted trash and Manon's door fragments in the mix.

Trixx snuck out from their hiding place and rested on her head. "Whatcha gonna do?"

Alya made her wand materialize. "I am gonna put this door back together at my house, and when the time is right..."

Trixx grinned, "You sly little Kit. I knew I made a good choice in picking you."

Alya grinned back as she softly said an incarnation that picked up only wooden pieces from the trash. Once they were all hovering in the air, she deposited them into a bag that looked much too tiny to fit them all. It was enhanced by her magic to store anything she could need and not get any bigger.

She then made some dummy wooden pieces for the trash that would vanish in a few days, just in case anyone decided to peek in. She did not want the CDA after any of them... more than they already were. She heard some voices and quickly escaped, no one being the wiser of her theft.

She rejoined Chat and Nino, and Nino gave her an odd look, "Where were you, exactly?"

"Nowhere important," Alya said nonchalantly, as Trixx giggled in her bag.

Plagg pouted. "And I didn't go. Sounds like you did something chaotic, and that's my thing."

Alya looked affronted. "Me? Chaotic? Oh no, not me. I have the best of intentions with everything I do~"

Before anyone can say anything else Nathalie returned.

"Chat Noir. You are heir to the factory. I will help you get a replacement for me and then you can do as you please with it.

"I... need a few days," he said in a defeated tone.

"Understood." she replied, and her look softened. "I am sorry things had to end this way."

It was the first real emotion anyone in the factory had seen from her.

"Yeah, me too... Me too..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A year had passed since Hawkmoth and Copycat had been arrested and tried for unethical business practices. The case was a media circus and even a year in, it was still ongoing in the case of Hawkmoth. Copycat, took a plea bargain and would probably testify against Hawkmoth, but it was still yet to be seen.

In the meantime, Chat Noir took over the factory. Despite the population doubting him and his new methods, he proved them wrong.

Nino, Alya, and Chat Noir bonded over the many months of the conversion of The Agreste Factory from scare energy to laugh energy. It was a lengthy and expensive conversion, but the benefits were instant when everything was said and done.

In one year, the laugh energy had saved the monster world. The energy crisis was but a memory at this point. Despite all the bad luck and hiccups along the way, morale was higher and the world seemed to be progressing.

Chat Noir was proud of his work. He, along with Alya, figured out the potential of laugh energy and Alya helped champion the new method.

Still, he was not fully happy. He still missed his human friends immensely. He sighed as he looked at the last remaining piece he still had of Manon's door. Oddly, throughout the year, the bits he managed to save had gone missing and so he kept the one remaining piece on his person at all times.

Adrien had suspected Plagg, who along with the other Kwamis, would visit multiple times in various disguises. Plagg, of course, denied any involvement claiming that if he couldn't eat it, he didn't want it. Adrien had no proof, so he let it go, but the feeling never went away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alya groaned as she inspected the wooden piece from the pile on her floor. "I swear, all these darn pieces of door look the same. It didn't look so bad when I salvaged the pieces from the trash. I thought it was just her door and maybe a few left over ones from other doors that were stuck. "

Nino grinned, "Most doors look about the same. Good thing it is automated at the factory, or I'd have been screwed long ago."

Alya groaned, "Chat BETTER appreciate this or I will skin him and use him in my potions!"

Nino smiled and gave her a soft look. "He will, trust me. If he doesn't ...well... I'll help ya skin him." He said with a joking tone.

Alya grinned and plopped his hat on her head. "Good to know I have another partner in crime."

Nino grinned as he bumped shoulders with her. "I am everyone's partner in crime... because I care~"

A few more hours later, the door looked nearly complete and Alya grinned triumphantly.

"Finally, after a year of sorting, dumpster diving and a little bit of petty theft...it's done!"

Nino grinned as Trixx, who was visiting, leaned in and looked confused. "Call me blind, but... I think you are short a piece."

Trixx tapped a place right in the middle of the door that was sprawled along the floor of Alya's flat.

Nino smiled. "No... We know exactly where it is."

Plagg gagged. "Oh gosh, I can SMELL the kid's sappiness from here. Disgusting."

Tikki giggled, "He isn't even here!"

"I can still SMELL it Tikki!"

Alya waved her wand and the door stood upright. She smiled as Tikki cheered.

"So far so good!" Alya said as she placed a protective charm to keep it from breaking and put it in her infinity bag.

"Time to celebrate an anniversary."

"There better be food!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was the end of the workday when Chat Noir made his way to his office. After taking over his father's position, he redecorated his office. It was now bright and cheery with warm neutral tones and photographs and knickknacks lining his desk and wall.

Despite how cheery it was, he still sighed sadly. He looked at the picture of him, Manon, and Marinette. It was one year to the day since they were separated, and he was feeling a bit lonely and nostalgic. He wondered how they were doing, or if they even remembered him.

Before he could reminisce anymore, Alya forcibly crashed through his door effectively giving a mini heart attack.

"What the- ALYA?! Can't you open the door like a normal being? I've seen giant chicken monsters who are less startling and loud!" He tried to get his heart rate to normal as Plagg snickered and Alya dramatically flopped onto a comfy couch.

"Awww~ Where's the fun in that?~ Besides, we got a surprise for ya!~ "

"A surprise?"

Alya nodded excitedly. "Yup~ Nino has it now! C'mon get off your furry butt and follow me!"

He raised an eyebrow but followed. As he grew to know Alya, he learned that she was full of devious surprises. They headed into the mostly dark and empty scare floor, when something caught his eye. One singular light was shining on a station with a door. Confused at why Alya was grinning like a cat who caught the canary, he let her lead him to it.

The door looked oddly familiar, despite how similar to other doors it was. It didn't click with him whose door it was until he saw all the cracks in it.

"Wait. Is this...?"

Nino nodded as he turned on the machine and gave him a soft smile. "Yeah, but I think...it's missing something..."

Chat Noir pulled out the tiny door shard from a pocket he had in his work blazer, and gingerly placed the piece in. The light over the door flared up and Chat Noir was speechless.

Nino smiled kindly, "Thank Alya, this was her idea."

"Yeah but demon boy here helped me keep from rage quitting," she said.

Chat Noir's eyes became misty. "Thanks, guys."

He gave them a tight hug, and Alya pushed Chat Noir to the door.

"Have fun. We'll visit with them later."

Chat Noir looked like he was about to cry, but he was happy as he gently opened the door.

He was greeted by the sight of a groggy Manon. When Manon spotted him however, she was instantly awake.

"KITTY!~" she shrieked. She leapt out of bed and promptly tackled him. Manon, despite how small she was, managed to knock Chat Noir down to the ground with a loud thud.

Chat Noir's voice was thick with emotion and he couldn't seem to say anything. He did, however, hug the child tightly. He, with superior hearing, registered the loud thuds attacking the stairs and before he could react, the door flew open. There stood Marinette, with a metal baseball pipe in her hands, ready to attack. As soon as she saw Chat, she dropped the bat with a muffled clink.

"Chat...?"

He gave a soft wave with the one arm that Manon wasn't pinning down.

"Hey, Didya miss me?"

Marinette smiled gently. "I missed you, Kitty."

Chat gave her a happy grin as Marinette joined into the hug.

After catching up, Marinette went to make some snacks when Manon leaned on him.

"We missed you a bunch, ya know? Why didn't you come back?" she asked.

"I wish I could have, but...I physically couldn't. It was like we lost a key to a locked door... and my friends found the key for me today."

"Ahh! I see..."

"Did... you two get in trouble for vanishing? " He asked nervously.

Manon shakes her head " No.. Marinette told my Mama that some bad people took us. We tried super hard to get back, but it was hard. We finally escaped and climbed back up a window because we thought no one was home and we recognized it was my house."

Chat Noir looked thoughtful. "Well, technically it was true... until the end. Still..."

Manon smiled "Yeah... we had to go on TV a lot, and they tried to find the "bad people" but... they never did."

"Obviously... unless there are monsters here, but that isn't possible."

Manon nodded as Marinette walked back in with some snacks.

"I missed your snacks, Mari~" Chat said in a hungry tone as he greedily grabbed a cookie.

"Oh, I see~ You didn't miss me at all... but my snacks! I feel so hurt! What a fickle kitty you are!" She said in a mock hurt tone.

Chat laughed at this. "Nah...I missed this. All of it…and last I checked, you were part of this."

Manon smiles widely as she grabs some snacks.

"I missed this too! Let's do this a lot more! You should bring Alya and Nino and everyone here too!"

Marinette grinned "Yeah... I missed them too. We should see them sometime."

Chat smiled "Good thing I see them all the time. I can bring them next time...but for now I just want us this time. Just like old times."

"Just like old times~" the girls happily agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween ! 
> 
> Thanks for sticking around and reading, commenting amd kudo-ing Beyond! It means a bunch to me ~
> 
> I will hopefully see you guys soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> Well Hello... AGAIN XD
> 
> so this is gonna be my second multi chapter Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir fanfic and AGAIN it is another AU cause I am AU trash. XD
> 
> So here are some things I want to note. Adrien and Gabriel do NOT exist in this world. They are Chat Noir and Hawkmoth.
> 
> This is a Monster's Inc inspired AU so there will be a lot of elements from the movie in this AU but with my own twist
> 
> I have already fully planned this AU and it will be 10 chapters long.
> 
> There will be no set schedule on this and my beta is again the awesome Rosalind2013
> 
> Also I have done doodles for this AU. I have complies them into one convenient post for you here: http://sakuramarie.tumblr.com/post/173385554861/master-list-of-sketches-for-my-fanfictions


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